I Don't Want These Kinds of Heroes
by CrimsonBlade11
Summary: Every story has a Hero, someone who saves the day without a thought to compensation or thanks, and does so without hesitation. This story, however, has two Heroes. Two unscrupulous Heroes who leave quite a bit to be desired. One's a dick and the other's a pervert. Being good at heart only gets you so far... Their enemies won't know what hit 'em, those poor fools...
1. Life 0

**Here we go! Please enjoy this joint project that came as a result of the joined geniuses of CrimsonBlade11 and bamafelix~! PREPARE FOR THE ULTIMATE BADASSNESS!**

**-CrimsonBlade11: 'Ultimate Badassness'? Well, if that's what you want to say… Anyway, I hope you guys like what we've created here, as does my illustrious collaboration partner bamafelix. **

**Also, prepare for the ultimate wrath of Kazusa and Makotoooooooooo!**

**...nope. That's all for my rant~!**

**Disclaimer: We, bamafelix or CrimsonBlade11, own nothing involving DxD. (The rest of this is solely from me, bamafelix) If we did, we'd probably have more light novels in English. Been a long while since we got one of those light novels translated. It's almost nerve-wracking since all of the translators are inactive...Oh dear merciful God, please let the light novels be translated further! With the spoilers I've been given, I HAVE TO know what happens! I have to read the light novels! Those spoilers can't be true! They just can't be! **

**-Kazusa was created by me, CrimsonBlade11, and Makoto was created by bamafelix. If there are any question regarding our characters or the story in general, just pm us or review to your heart's content! **

**On with the story~**

* * *

**Life 0: I Don't Want These Kinds of Heroes**

It all started over a year ago. These rumors that began to spread around not only the Underworld, but even within the realm of Heaven.

The rumors of the servants of Serafall Leviathan. No one knows who they really are or where they came from. Only that they appeared out of the unknown, being named as the new servants of the Maou, Serafall Leviathan.

The only thing that is certain about these two is their terrifying power.

The first, the newest [Pawn] of Leviathan-sama, it is said he fights with the ferociousness of a beast, possessing the ability to command even the heavens to obey his whims, creating powerful lightning that could destroy entire mountains, obliterating entire armies when he unleashes his full fury. He has even been said to possess actual fangs with which he could rip apart even gods. Not only that, but the [Pawn] used to reincarnate him as a Devil was said to be a Mutation Piece. Truly, he is amongst the strongest [Pawns].

The second servant, the one Leviathan-sama deemed worthy to become her [Queen]. A man possibly more frightening than the beast-like [Pawn]. It has been rumored to be near impossible to land a single blow on this man. He is also said to unleash powerful flames like that of a Dragon. Flames whose power could match those of the mighty Phenex clan, a clan renowned for their mastership over flames. Not only that, but any enemy who faces this man is bound for misfortune. Many have faced this man and many have come out poorly, barely hanging onto their sanity by the end of the encounter. Whatever drove them to this state, it was apparently too unspeakable for them to recount. Truly, may God have mercy on any soul who was to face Leviathan-sama's [Queen].

Together, these two possess amazing power. Together, their combined power is said to allow them to possibly defeat even an Ultimate-Class Devil. Their pasts are a mystery to anyone but themselves and perhaps Leviathan-sama.

They are highly treasured by Leviathan-sama as some of her most capable servants.

She would truly only entrust the most important missions to these two.

Where these two are as of right now...? Well-

* * *

**Kazusa's POV...**

I stood, staring tensely at the younger boy who stood across from me.

He was 16 and possessed black and slightly spiky hair and blue eyes. He was slender and in-shape, possessing an admittedly handsome face as well like that of one of those annoying bishounen you read about in manga. He wore a student uniform similar to my own. Only this douche wore his in a rather delinquent-ish style with the jacket open and wrinkled. Wrapped around his wrists, palms, and knuckles were protective bandages to complete what he likes to call his "delinquent-look". Personally, I thought he just looked like a total tool.

Not like me, who looked awesome.

Being 18 years old and standing at a modest 5'11" with short strawberry blonde hair, I was blessed with a handsome face. Most people don't like my amber-colored eyes because they tell me I always get this weird glint in my eyes that they don't like. My frame was moderately muscled, like a swimmer's build. I possessed a faint scar that trails from the back of my left ear, underneath my jawline, before tapering off my chin.

When it comes to my own school uniform, it's always immaculately pressed and looks like it was freshly cleaned. I admit to only doing this to piss off the mutt in front of me, who could never manage to keep his uniform clean. The only part of the uniform I don't wear is that stupid ribbon. You tell me to wear it, I'll just ignore you.

But yes, it's come down to a staring contest between me and the mutt standing in front of me.

"To think...that's it's all come down to this, Mako." I said.

Mako growled at the nickname I called him by. "I've told you time and time again, Kazusa. DON'T call me that! It pisses me off!"

I knew that of course. I'm sure he KNEW I knew that because he was glaring daggers at me. Perhaps it was the faint grin on my face that gave it away.

"Enough games, Kazusa! We're finishing this!" Mako spoke like he was trying to be a badass when he really wasn't.

I smirked. "Alright then. Go!"

We both threw out our respective fists, ready to finally put an end to this issue.

Then suddenly the door to the room slammed open.

"Ah! Youko-san! I'm sorry. I was just looking for Makoto-kun in here!"

Both Mako and I turned away from our game of rock-paper-scissors to the newest occupant of the empty classroom entered.

She was a busty girl with glasses and waist-length black hair. That's about all I cared to take in concerning Tsubaki's appearance. I'd seen her so many times that it didn't take much for me to identify the Vice President of the Student Council.

I looked back to the game between me and Mako.

Shit. I had drawn scissors while he had drawn rock. Just gonna fix this up a little aaaaand-

Done.

"Oh, hey Tsubaki-chan. What's up?" The mutt was completely distracted by the arrival of one of his many stalkers...OK, maybe "stalker" would be going too far with Tsubaki. Maybe with Momo, but not with Tsubaki. Tsubaki was genuinely head-over-heels in love with that idiot. It only took one week for the guy to unknowingly charm the girl.

Too bad for her that the idiot is already in a committed relationshi-HAHAHAHAHA!

I can't say that with a straight face.

The idiot was building a harem and he's yet to even realize it. He's already got a girlfriend.

Koneko Toujou. The school mascot.

The two idiots were madly in love. Of course, as always with Devils, the relationship would never be monagamous. Makoto Saeki has already gotten two other girls to fall in love with him. And just about everyone but that idiot has realized that Momo is just about stalking him and Tsubaki is somewhat stalkerish. Of course, that might be partially my fault since I keep feeding her info about Mako that just makes her SEEM stalkerish.

Even Koneko-chan has noticed.

The idiot keeps on attracting babes just by being his normal, idiot self.

"U-Um, Makoto-kun..." Tsubaki seemed to become nervous. The girl was stone-cold serious all of the time except when around Mako. She was the second most-serious person I'm often in contact with and she couldn't even speak a simple request to the mutt.

Come on! Don't back out now! We've discussed this!

Mako stared at the glasses-wearing girl with confusion. "Something wrong, Tsubaki-chan?"

"Erm...I...well..." Damn. The girl's gonna crash and burn. The idiot was just staring blankly.

...he really was dumb as nails.

"I was...just wondering if you needed any help with your homework!"

Damn! She backed out! I spent a good hour talking to this girl on the phone, trying to convince her to just go ahead and either confess or ask this idiot out. Not of my own volition of course. This dick called me up at 2:00 AM last night, asking again for Mako's preferences and what colors he likes and (as creepy as it was) what size underwear he wore. Just imagining the thoughts involved with all three of those gave me chills. And what did all that wasted time give me?! This!

Mako raised an eyebrow. "Er...No. I'm good. Thanks though, Tsubaki-chan."

Tsubaki turned around to leave when I coughed into my fist.

"AHEM!" I interrupted. Tsubaki turned to face me. "Wasn't there SOMETHING ELSE you wanted to-"

"Hey! You goddamned cheater! You changed your choice!" I heard Mako shout at me.

Ah. Mako was more perceptive than he appeared.

He was clenching his fists at his side. "You can't just do that! There's no way in Hell I'm gonna be the one to go out on patrol to keep an eye on those stupid Fallen Angels!"

I waved the hand which I had changed to a paper sign. "Sorry, Mako, but I'm afraid that paper beats rock~"

Mako growled at me. "Fuck that! You only won because you're a goddamned cheater, you fluffy-tailed rodent!"

I laughed mockingly at that comment. "I'd really think you'd be okay with fluffy tails considering that really dirty pick that your lovely "Neko-chan" sent you. Man, I never thought she'd be willing to dress like that~"

To be honest, I was bluffing about that.

What actually surprised me was that Mako's face turned a deep-red color. Then his face contorted into an expression of rage.

"Who-How did you see those?!"

"I have my ways." I said vaguely.

"Bastard! Koneko-chan gave me those out of trust!"

"I thought she gave them to you just so you'd still only think of her when you're touching yourself."

Mako's eyes went wide out of shock. Oh gross! Does he really-?! No wait, his face was turning into one of insulted outrage. Nope. Never mind.

"Say one more word, Kazusa. I swear. I WILL kill you." Mako threatened me. "One word."

I stared blankly at Mako. He stared blankly back.

"OK...You furry." There. That was THREE words. Not one.

"You sonnuvabitch! IMMA KILL YOU!"

The poor mutt crouched down on all fours and lunged forwards with his teeth, leaping through the air to get at me...

Or the illusion of me that I created. The poor furry bastard only attacked an illusion I created of myself when he wasn't looking while I hid myself using the same brand of illusions. Mako flew right through imaginary-me and slammed face-first into the desks behinds it, knocking them all over before kissing the wall behind them with his entire body.

Ouch.

After Mako slid away from the wall, I noted a small crater his impact had created.

Huh, how hard was he planning on hitting me, I wonder?

Oh well~

All that matters is that it was HIM who got smashed into the metaphorical pavement rather than me.

"Gyaaaaah!" Hm, Mako got up faster than I thought he would considering the force with which he hit the wall.

I casually ducked, causing the poor bastard to fly right over my head and face-first, yet again, into a group of desks. By this point, I think he's doing more damage to the school than he could ever do against me.

"I'll get you this time!"

LEAP-SLAM!

Seriously, this guy is such a simple-minded dimwit. If he wanted to, he could've sniffed me out by this point. But no, he continued leaping and attacking illusions I created.

"I don't care how long it takes! I'll keep slashing until I finally get the right one!"

He leaped at yet another illusion I created, having the same results as his other attempts.

"Um...Makoto-kun..." Tsubaki tried interrupting his failures.

"Not now, Tsubaki-chan. I feel like I'm really close to getting this bastard."

Lather, rinse, repeat.

I sweatdropped. This would be so much more hilarious if it wasn't quite so sad.

Ha, I wonder how dear ol' So-tan would feel if she saw this?

"What is going on here?"

Speak of the Devil and she will come.

Standing in the doorway of the room was a familiar girl with violet eyes and a surprisingly relatively small bust when you compare her to her older sister.

Sona Sitri. Possibly the strictest and most annoying person I know. She could probably be as fun as her older sister if she didn't (probably literally) have a broomstick shoved up her ass.

I dispelled the illusion that hid myself, smiling and bowing dramatically to the heiress of the Sitri.

"Ah. What a surprise to see you here, So-tan." I teased. I noticed the corner of Sona's mouth twitch slightly, most likely out of annoyance. "If you're referring to this mess, I have no idea how the room got like this. I only recently arrived here after all."

Rather than turn her sharp gaze towards Mako who slowly got back to his feet, shooting me a sharp glare as if he was ready to pounce again.

Sona's look, however, sharpened even further. Her expression said something along the lines of "Cut the shit. We both know you had something to do with this."

And she was right.

So-tan turned to Mako who was still glaring daggers at me. "What happened here?"

Mako jammed an accusing finger in my direction. "Kazusa's being a prick, that's what happened! And now I'm gonna kick his ass!" I could tell Mako was getting serious by the way some of the strands of hair on his head began to spike upward, as if being pushed upward by some force. He held up his arm as electricity began to build up and take shape in the palm of his hand.

I smirked. I guess Mako wanted to mix things up this time. He doesn't usually start things off with his Sacred Gear.

"Fine then. Let's go." I prepared to unleash my own power when-

"ARH ARH ARH!" Mako covered his ears suddenly and his eyes bulged so far out of his head that I thought they would pop out. He started letting out loud, pained yelps, dropping to the ground and dragging his body in circles. "ARH ARH-WOOOOOO!"

It was actually kind of funny to see Mako do what appeared as some weird break dance.

I looked back at Sona to see she had a small piece of metal in her mouth. She was blowing on it.

I recognized the piece of metal as a whistle. I found myself grinning as I recognized what KIND of whistle it was.

Sona finally stopped blowing into the seemingly noiseless whistle, causing Mako to finally calm down.

He sat up, glaring at Sona.

"What the fuck, Senpai?!"

Sona held up the whistle. "Onee-sama gave me this just in case you were to misbehave again."

Mako rubbed his still-aching ears. "Well what did I do?! More importantly: How come I'm the only one being punished?! Kazusa started it!"

The violet-eyed girl rubbed her temples. "Makoto-kun, I'm sure we've both realized by this point that Kazusa is beyond hope." Just to annoyingly acknowledge them, I gave them a playful grin, to which she released a breath.

Mako rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Yeah, you're right. He IS an unmanageable bastard, ain't he?"

"Coming from the mutt whose first solution to most problems is to punch something or blow things up." I retorted.

"That's it," Mako growled, "I am SO kicking your as-ARH ARH-WOOOOO!" Mako ended up rolling about on the ground in pain once more.

Sona had started to blow on the whistle again.

"OK! OK!" Mako screamed. "I GET IT! I GIVE! I GIVE!"

Sona once again relinquished the whistle from her lips, ceasing Mako's punishment once again.

"Hey, Sona, where can I get one of those whistles," I joked. Neh. I'm not the type to torture Mako in such a way. If I wanna pick on him or screw with him, I do it with subtle manipulations or through humilation tactics. Physically torturing him is just plain boring. Plus, I would never stoop to that level unless it was for someone who ROYALLY pissed me off.

"And you," Sona said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Act more respectful as it's due. You must not bring shame to your position as Onee-sama's servants." She was not pleased. "I have half a mind to report your actions to Onee-sama as it is."

"Go right ahead," I taunted, "but then _somebody_ might accidentally let slip the certain "scene" he/she stumbled upon between you and your sister one night..."

Sona's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Mako frowned and Tsubaki also gained an interested look.

[What ARE you talking about?]

The two spoke in perfect unison. It was kind of trippy actually.

...those two would make good couple. Or, master-servant, or whatever the Hell it's called between the possessor of a harem and one of the members.

I smirked. "Oh. Mayhaps this somebody would reveal how much "sisterly love" you and Serafall-sama shared?"

Sona's eyes widened as she realized what I was talking about.

It was one of those days where me, Mako, Sona, and Serafall were all together in the same house. Serafall, being the adorable sis-con she was, ended up sleeping in Sona's room with my manipulations. I expected Sona to wake up shocked and embarrassed, her face squeezed between Serafall's surprisingly large breasts (surprisingly large for her small body size at least). What I DIDN'T expect was, when I checked up on them in the morning, to see Sona completely asleep, kissing Serafall in the lips.

It wasn't particularly dirty or passionate. More like Sona was moving her head around in her sleep and she accidentally brushed her lips against Serafall's.

Sona only woke up when she heard the sound of my camera snapping photos.

You gotta love blackmail.

Sona opened her mouth to say something, but there was no intelligent argument, no clever response, nothing. This is the point that they would call "checkmate". As long as I had that embarrassing scene over Sona's head, I could get away with just about anything (as long as it's within reason at least).

The poor Sitri heiress could do nothing as I successfully got away with blackmailing her.

The annoyed/embarrassed look on her face made it all the more worth it.

Mako looked on upon the exchange with confusion and curiosity.

"I'm lost. What is he talking about, Senpai?"

Rather than answer with words, Sona responded by yet again blowing on the dog whistle.

"GAAAAAAH!" Mako screamed. "WHY!?" Ha. Poor bastard.

I'm one of the few people who can irritate Sona to the point that she punishes someone else other than her desired target to relieve her frustration.

"Well, now that it's decided that Mako will be taking the next shift, I'll be heading out now. Later."

I waved goodbye, turning to leave the room.

"Wait a minute, you bast-GAAAAH!" Mako tried to intervene and stop me from leaving with the matter settled in such a way, but he was halted by the suffering he experienced as a result of the cursed whistle.

After Sona finally finished venting her frustrations, Mako laid on the ground, a dazed and pained look on his face, Tsubaki crouching next to him, gently trying to shake him back into consciousness with a cute, worried expression on her face.

...

They're fiiiiiiine~

Ignoring the rest of those guys, I strolled right out of the classroom.

It was only then that I realized something:

All of the people who I usually hung out with were busy now.

.

.

.

What have I done?! I'M SO BORED NOW!

* * *

**Makoto's POV...**

Gah! I hate that asshole, Kazusa!

After Sona-senpai finally ordered me to take this shift, I realized there was no fighting it.

Unlike Kazusa, I actually respected the will of the younger sister of my master, Serafall-sama.

After all, I was pretty grateful to Serafall-sama for bringing me back to life after I died at the hands of those bastards...

I shook my head, trying to get those bad memories out of my head. I didn't want to remember those right now...not after what happened.

My only complaint is that she brought back that fluffy-tailed rodent, Kazusa, too.

The thing that annoys me the most is that she always seems to like him better than me. Then again, Kazusa is her [Queen]. It's only natural that they are closer than Serafall is with her other servants.

...Hehe. Kazusa's a Queen. Man, I can't remember how long I was busting my guts laughing after learning what Evil Piece he was brought back with.

I don't mind the piece I got brought back with. A [Pawn] is the most versatile piece and always possesses the ability to change the tides of any battle.

I-

"Are you okay, Makoto-kun?"

I turned my head to see Tsubaki-chan staring at me with concern in her eyes.

I smiled for the first time today, appreciating her concern. "Yeah. That whistle hurt my sensitive ears quite a bit, but I'm all aces now."

I liked Tsubaki-chan. She was always so nice to me. It was a nice change from Sona-senpai's strict harshness and Kazusa's "assholishness".

Sometimes, I fancied the notion that Tsubaki had a crush on me. She usually tended to be as serious as Sona-senpai, but she becomes more sociable and much cuter whenever she gets shy. She got shy a lot when she's not taking care of her duties as Sona-senpai's Queen. She also ended up hanging around me more than the other Student Council members.

But then I realized how crazy it was. I mean, Tsubaki-chan and I are friends.

I won't say I haven't thought about it. But I WAS in a relationship already with my adorable Koneko-chan~

I know I'm a Devil, but I don't think Koneko or Tsubaki would appreciate me trying to build harem. In the same way I'm somewhat possessive of Koneko, she's kind of possessive of me. Not excessively like a yandere, but she tends to become rather competitive with the other girls around me, ESPECIALLY when they're larger than her when it comes to bust or when they're older...coz I kind of have a fetish for older women. I admit it. It's not something I hide, but I got the feeling that Koneko felt somewhat self-conscious because of it. It made me feel icky inside when she got sad or jealous like that.

Even if she's younger and smaller than me, I like Koneko very much~

So, even though I admit that Tsubaki is kind of sexy as a "by-the-book-serious" senior student character with a hidden shy side, and would look hot in a maid's outfit (maids are ANOTHER fetish of mine), I cannot in good conscience explore the theory she liked me.

It was a crazy thought anyway. There's NO WAY Tsubaki likes me THAT way.

But back to answering her previous question.

I nodded in response to the question Tsubaki asked before. "Yeah, I'm fine. That whistle is a bitch to hear. It's so high pitched and I'm the only one who can hear it. A real pain in the ass."

Tsubaki-chan bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry! Perhaps I should've spoken up earlier! If I had-!"

I petted Tsubaki on the head, calming her down. "Don't worry about it. It's just the same shit as it always is with Kazusa. One of these days, I'm gonna bury that prick six feet under."

"...I was always under the impression that you two were friends." Tsubaki spoke with confusion in her voice. "You always seem to be hanging around each other."

I frowned. "Friends? With that guy? As if!" I felt annoyed. To be honest, I like to think that Kazusa and I are frenemies. We hated each other's guts with a passion, but we could never bring out a desire to truly kill each other. It was as annoying as it was perplexing, really. "One of these days, Kazusa's gonna get his ass kicked, mark my words."

By this point, we had reached outside the front entrance of the school.

What I was surprised to see was someone else waiting for me and Tsubaki by the front gate.

Upon recognizing the beauty, I grinned and waved vigorously.

"Koneko-chaaaaaaan!"

Unable to keep my cool around my adorable girlfriend, I immediately ran towards the white-haired loli staring at me from the entrance of the school gates.

I stopped short right in front of her, smiling brightly. I always got so excited when I saw Koneko.

Perhaps it was my animal instincts recognizing her as someone dear to me, causing me to desire to shower her with endless affection until she either returned it, smacked me away, or until I ran out of energy and gave up.

Koneko stared at me with her expression somewhat stoic as usual, but I could tell she was also happy.

"Hey, what are you doing here, Koneko-chan? Doesn't the Occult Research Club have activities planned?"

Koneko shook her head. "...None for today." Was her brief answer. "...Want to go get something sweet to share?"

This was Koneko's way of asking me if I wanted to go on a date. You see, Koneko is usually stingy when it comes to her sweets. To willingly offer to share something sweet with me was not only a romantic gesture (in an odd way, I admit), but it is also a sign of how close we are.

I sighed. "I'd really love to, but I got stuck with recon duty today. SOMEBODY has to keep an eye on those pesky Fallen Angels."

I noticed Koneko's gaze shift a few inches to my right. "...And Shinra-senpai?"

I turned to my right to see Tsubaki-chan finally catching up to me.

Then I noted the slight change in expression on Koneko's face. "...What are you doing with her?"

Oh. Jealousy.

I raised my hands up to my chest in surrender. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Tsubaki and I were just walking together to the gate. Nothing ecchi or anything."

"I-It's true, Toujou-san!" Tsubaki-chan added, her face flushing red.

Koneko eyed both me and Tsubaki-chan with suspicion. After a few seconds, her expression returned to normal.

"...I believe you."

Well that's good. I don't know how Koneko would react if she thought I was building a harem.

I sighed. "Geez, Koneko. You know how I feel about you. It wounds me to think that you think I would cheat on you with Tsubaki-chan just because she's taller and has larger, firmer-looking, and softer-looking breasts than you. You're my girlfriend, the girl I care most about."

.

.

.

SLAP

Tsubaki-chan face-palmed, but I noticed a light blush on her face. Koneko's expression just became blank.

...What?...Was it something I said?

Koneko walked up to me, placing a gentle hand on my chest.

She looked up at my face, staring me in the eyes. "...In a way, that was a sweet and romantic thing to say." I got the feeling there was a "but" coming along. "...But-"

In hindsight, I think I knew I had it coming.

Koneko slammed her heel down on my foot (REALLY HARD), causing me to let out a yelp of pain. Koneko then followed up by jamming her elbow hard into my stomach, knocking all of the wind out of me.

I crouched down, hunching over in pain as I clutched my stomach.

When I looked up at Koneko, she was looking down at me with an annoyed and disapproving look.

I managed a weak smile, resisting the urge to spit up.

"...So..." I wheezed out. "...A raincheck on that date?"

Koneko turned her back to me, preparing to walk away. But before she left, I heard the faintest whisper:

"Yes."

I could swear on my mother's...I hope it's her grave at any rate. I swear on her grave (hopefully) I saw the faintest smile on Koneko's face.

Kyaaaa! Koneko, you're so cute when you smile~!

I was still hunched over in pain, wheezing as I recovered from Koneko's jealousy-filled blows.

"Um...Makoto-kun...are you okay?" Tsubaki-chan placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm good." I replied shortly. "...You can go ahead and tell Sona-senpai...that I went to take my shift. I'll be off in a sec..."

Tsubaki had an uncertain expression on her face, but she nodded. She was about to leave when she opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to change her mind.

Then she appeared to change it again, opening her mouth to speak.

"M-M-Makoto-kun..."

I raised an eyebrow, my confusion temporarily helping me recover from my pain. "Yeah?"

Tsubaki-chan froze up. Whatever she was trying to say was stuck in her throat. She seemed to choke several times, trying to say something. What it was she was trying to say to me? I had no idea in Hell.

"...I just..." She finally spoke after a good ten minutes of silence. I had fully recovered by that point and was just standing, staring at her. "...it's..." Tsubaki seemed to blush as she physically strained to speak her mind. After realizing she wasn't going to get it done, she sighed. "Just be careful, okay?"

I chuckled. I waved off my senpai's concern. "Relax, babe. I'm the [Pawn] of Serafall Leviathan. These are Low-Class Fallen Angels who haven't even received their second pair of wings yet. I'm sure I can handle anything these guys dish out even if they DO catch me spying on them."

Tsubaki's eyes widened.

I frowned. "...was "babe" too personal?" I spoke informally with all girls, even my Senpais (except for Devils of a higher rank than me), sometimes even coming off as flirtatious. But I've never come off as too flirtatious with Tsubaki-senpai. I mean, we are friends and end up associating too often for me to make things awkward by coming across as a perverted douche like a certain annoying Yakitori...

If I ever become like that guy, may The Big Man Upstairs strike me dead.

Maou forbid if I ever become like him...

Tsubaki-senpai's face flushed as she shook her head "no". "N-No! I-It's fine! I-I just..."

"Well I should get going." I cut Tsubaki-chan off, needing to get going.

"Right..." Tsubaki-chan replied. "I love-I mean, I hope to see you later!"

Wait. What was that first thing she was gonna say?!

Before I could question her, Tsubaki-chan immediately vanished.

I scratched my head. "I guess she was using the speed trait of her [Queen] piece..."

Why I was talking to myself, I had no idea?

I placed my arms behind my head, leaning backwards. I continued walking out the gate and traveling the usual route for patrols and recon.

Well, these Fallen Angels are huge pansies. If I'm lucky, I won't even get into an actual encounter with them...

Well, as long as Kazusa doesn't start shit...

* * *

**Kazusa's POV...**

"I'm surprised you came here."

Standing before me was a young woman with long, black hair and the most ADORABLY malicious eyes I've ever seen. That's right. They were so NOT-threatening to me that they were adorable. She wore some school uniform that I've never seen before in order to pass herself off as a human, but I knew what she really was.

I smiled. "Ah. I was curious why this certain Fallen Angel-chan was so bold as to outright ask me to meet with her anonymously."

The Fallen Angel girl raised an eyebrow. "So you know I was the one who sent you the message after you left that school? And you still came here?" There was a hint of confused concern and disbelief in her voice. "I...I'm not sure whether to call you brave or stupid."

I lackadaisically waved a hand to the side. "Well, some people say I'm more along the lines of outright insane, but tomato, tomatoe."

"Che." The Fallen Angel girl seemed to be biting her tongue, resisting the urge to break out into full-blown laughter. "So this is the so-called "legendary [Queen] of the Maou Leviathan"?" She asked in amusement. "What a joke! This might be far easier than I thought!"

She snapped her fingers. Then all at once, our party of two was joined by a few dozen party crashers.

They all wore priest robes and carried light swords and light pistols. Exorcists.

Of course, since they were with this Fallen Angel, they were undoubtedly "Strays".

Fallen Angel barked sharp orders to the Stray Exorcists. "Kill the [Queen] of Leviathan. This is too great of an opportunity to cripple the Devils to give up!"

The Exorcists seemed uneasy about following this order.

"B-But, ma'am! I-Isn't that rather reckless?" One bolder Exorcist asked.

"Y-Yeah. If we invoke the wrath of a Maou, then-"

"Enough of your jabber!" The Fallen Angel commanded harshly. "Once "the package" arrives, it won't matter! I'll be invincible and the pesky Maous won't be any threat to us! Now kill him!"

Oh, _goody_, and here I was hoping for 'quality' entertainment...

* * *

**Makoto's POV...**

Well, it's quite another thing if it's the Fallen Angels who start shit.

In that case, I have no probz with Kazusa going bat-shit crazy.

If anything, I'd feel sorrier for the Fallen Angels if they were stupid enough to try to take him on alone. Even more sorry if they faced the trauma of trying to fight him with an ambush.

Oh, those were not pleasant days...

* * *

**Kazusa's POV...**

**[3 Minutes Later...]**

"Oh boo. I didn't know you were bringing friends." I said in an amused tone.

I nudged a nearby charred corpse of one of the Exorcists, with my foot, who still had remains that even resembled a human body.

I grinned mockingly at the Fallen Angel girl who was on the ground, trembling as she looked up at me with fear in her eyes.

"You should've brought more." I finished with a dark tone and an almost sadistic expression on my face.

Surrounding us were the charred remains of the ambush of Stray Exorcists that the Fallen Angel had set up in a vain attempt to murder me, the [Queen] of my most adorable [King], Serafall Leviathan, one of the Yondai-Maou.

I whistled. "Wow. While totally ineffective, I gotta admire the balls you must've had to try and ambush a guy like me. I really do." I rubbed my chin. "But, a little something you should know for the future-"

I moved closer to the Fallen Angel who desperately tried to crawl away backwards, but was ultimately too petrified with fear to actually try something. I leaned in real close, my dark smile being easy to see by the Fallen Angel before me.

"-You ain't worth shit." The Fallen Angel trembled even worse upon hearing my words. "If you can't even lay a single hand on me, then you won't stand a chance against my [King] who is significantly stronger than me. I truly cannot compare to her or the Maou-samas. Not at the moment anyhow. So, in four words to describe how you'd fare: You would be fucked. Get it?"

Not wanting to risk my wrath, the Fallen Angel nodded very quickly.

I was about to go ahead and leave, ready to blame the charred corpses around here on some crazy gas leak, when I had one more thought.

I looked at the Fallen Angel girl once again, using my index finger under her chin to force her to look up at me.

"One more piece of advice: I understand you're observing the one known as Hyoudou Issei-kun, correct? You see, an associate of mine-as I'm sure you know-is also observing you. And let's drop all pretenses. I'm fairly certain by this point that both of our groups are well aware that we're observing and keeping an eye on one another. While he is a simple-minded dimwit who tends to get on my nerves, this world would be much less fun without him around to stir things up. If anything happens to put this dimwit in danger, either physically or politically, or if you somehow manage to kill him...let's just say I know where you and your pretty crow friends live. Do we understand one another?"

The Fallen Angel turned a deep shade of green. I don't think she could nod any faster.

With that my facial features returned to normal. "Good~! Bye-Bye now~!" I turned to leave. "Be good~! Eat your vegetables and don't be a stranger~!"

I smelled what could've potentially have been a little "accident" around the Fallen Angel.

If she was that fearful, then I was fairly certain she got the message. I guess hanging around Akeno really helped with creating the perfect sadist persona... Maybe I need to get her something as thanks, since she's been a big help... Shrugging, I continued on my merry way.

Now, it's all good as long as Mako doesn't fuck up somehow...

* * *

**Makoto's POV...**

ACHOO!

I let loose a violent sneeze into my sleeve.

I sniffed twice to make sure no mucus was running down my nose. I frowned, looking around.

Either I'm catching a cold...or someone's talking about me...

I couldn't help a perverted smile that grew on my face. Part of me fantasized that it was some cute girl fantasizing of me in the bathtub...

I WAS rather popular in Kuoh Academy despite being rumored to be a pervert...which I admittedly am. But I was good-looking pervert with a good heart, unlike that douchebag, Issei Hyoudou.

The A-hole ruined SEVERAL of my favorite peeping spots with those two loser buddies of his! I couldn't very well stop them from using those spots without revealing that I, myself, was a huge pervert to the female populace of Kuoh Academy who adored me.

The hole in the wall of the kendo club's changing room, the lockers for the changing room for the girl's swim team, the hidden spot in the ceiling above the soccer team's girls' changing room...that one was always my favorite.

I cried to myself as I once again felt the loss of that spot. That one was my favorite. The girls always came back in from practice, their sweat-drenched clothes clinging to their tight and well-toned bodies...

Auuuu! Damn you, Hyoudoooooooou! Those girls had the finest posteriors and you ruined that for meeeeee!

This may sound contradictory to my thoughts about how I feel about Koneko from earlier, but I was not lying. I know where to draw the line with my perversion.

I don't peep excessively (it's more of a moderate luxury that I award myself with every now and then) unlike Hyoudou and the Perverted Trio. I don't obsess with the female body. I appreciate it, but I don't obsess over porn or erotic games. Nope. Everything in moderation. I sometimes peep, I sometimes make-out with Koneko whenever we are feeling romantic, but I don't go about fantasizing about building a harem or any of that overly erotic junk.

Nope nope~

But back to what I was doing before.

Apparently the Fallen Angels have a lot of free time on their hands during the day.

I mean, it was kind of boring to watch them during the day.

I knew all of their names and faces.

The blonde, gothic lolita-styled Fallen Angel girl. Mittelt. Possibly the weakest member of the four Fallen Angels based in the old Church on the outskirts of town. She wasn't well developed and could easily be mistaken for a child or a girl in her early teens. The only places I saw her go into were places that sold food. Caramel, chocolate, fruit-flavored candies, ice cream, mainly sweets. Somewhere in my gut, I got the feeling the reason she fell from Heaven had to do with gluttony. It was weird how a girl who ate as much as she did was still as small as she was...All implied.

Sensing she wasn't up to anything bad, I decided to pursue one of the other major observation targets.

Next came the guy who was always dressed like he was heading out on a rainy night. The fedora-wearing gent, the Fallen Angel Dohnaseek. He was fairly boring. He didn't stray too far from the Fallen Angel base. The most I observed him doing was stopping at a local coffee shop. He liked his black. I don't understand how people drink it like that? I prefer my coffee with milk, sugar, or some other kind of sweetener. I can't stand it black.

But anyway, nothing unusual with this guy. He didn't so much as insult someone. Even when the one waitress spilled his first cup of coffee all over him, he was fairly polite about it. Didn't seem like a bad guy. Boring, but not bad other than the fact that he and his crew were trespassing in Gremory territory.

I eventually got bored and moved on.

Then came the bountiful beauty who I have no shame in admitting I was ogling.

The beautiful Fallen Angel, Kalawarner. To sum up her appearance in a word:

Hoooooooooooooooooooot~!

She was truly beautious! She possessed curves in all the right places and she had a raw presence that radiated sexiness! And her tush! Truly amongst the greatest posteriors!

However, she didn't seem like the type of woman I should associate with. She spent a fair majority of the time I was watching either drinking or flirting with other men, persuading them to buy her more drinks. When she left the bar she was at, she was with a fairly pleasant and innocent-looking chap who looked like he was awfully nervous and embarrassed.

For the reason as to why he was like that, my money was on the possibility that Fallen Angel Kalawarner was about to "corrupt" him, him being a virgin. And I got the feeling that that would be personal and not for my eyes.

And that was when I took a break.

Nothing wrong with that, right? Just taking a little break every now and then is just fine.

I only had one more Fallen Angel to keep tabs on. What could possibly happen if I took a fifteen minute break? My watch shift was almost over anyway.

I ended up stopping by a nearby street curb outside a local convenience store and sat down, stretching my arms.

"Well, not too bad of a day I guess." I said to myself. "Looks like those Fallen Angels didn't feel like stirring up trouble today. Sure there's that fourth one, Raynare, to think about, but she's still a smallfry. Shouldn't be too much trouble to track her down and keep an eye on her...although, Kazusa DID tell me she's been more active lately...I wonder what she's doing..."

Then the hairs on the back of my neck all stood upright.

My instincts took over as I felt a strange danger approaching. I quickly raised my hand behind my back. On cue, I felt something cylindrical, cold, and made of metal slam into my hand. I wrapped my hand around the can tightly.

"Oh hey, heads up, Mako." A familiar and obnoxious voice muttered in a monotone way several seconds after the fact.

I shot one annoyed glance over my shoulder to see Kazusa with a disappointed look on his face.

I could tell from the way that his hand was positioned that he had deliberately been aiming for the back of my head.

"You know what-?!" I started, standing up, about to chew the bastard out. Then I gave up, sighing. It was starting to get too late for this shit. I looked down at the can he had thrown at me. It was a can of orange juice. "I'm gonna drink this."

SNAP

I opened the tab and took a large sip.

I was surprised it wasn't actually tomato juice or something. I wouldn't put it past Kazusa to switch the label using his illusions.

I moved back into the shade of the convenience store, sitting against the wall.

SNAP

I looked up at Kazusa who was leaning against the same was I was sitting against, sipping his own canned drink.

"Nobody said you could stand next to me." I spoke with venom in my voice.

"Nobody said I couldn't." Kazusa coolly replied.

I shrugged. Fair enough. No point in arguing. Even if someone said Kazusa COULDN'T do something, he'd still probably do it if he wanted to. That's the kind of guy he's always been.

He and I just stood and sat there respectively, sipping our drinks and staring off towards the setting sun that loomed over in the horizon.

It was weird, yet serene...Just the two of us, staring silently at such a beautiful sight.

"Did it always look like this...?" I blinked, turning to look up at Kazusa.

He held this strange, passive expression on his face. Not happy, annoyed, sad. Just passive, or more like he was at peace.

"The sunset, I mean." Kazusa clarified. "Back when it was just us, remember? Back before all of this Devil stuff when it was just you, me, and-" He cut himself off, as if remembering something rather unpleasant. He glanced at me and I could tell he cut himself off to spare my feelings.

Kazusa was a total asshole, but he knew where to draw the line. He knew it hurt to mention "that person" in front of me.

"Or maybe even before then, before we met "that person", when it was just us two...Was the sunset always like this?"

What an odd question.

I turned away from Kazusa and looked back toward the horizon.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see what Kazusa was seeing. After realizing I was finding nothing, I shrugged.

"I dunno. I can't even begin to think what we thought of the sunset back then." I replied honestly. "Even though it's only been a few years, it feels like it's been so much longer...but still, things have changed so much since then."

"What are you talking about, idiot?"

I glared at Kazusa who was looking down at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm just saying that our lives have changed a lot since we first met..."

I remembered that day. Despite the fact it was the day I first met the biggest asshole in the universe, I still looked back on it fondly. After all, it WAS the day I first got my name...

"Stupid mutt." Kazusa whispered harshly. "Nothing's changed since then. We're still wooing babes, causing chaos at every turn, and trolling people to the brink of insanity."

Well, he's got me there I guess. Although it's mostly him when it comes to trolling people. And I'm also in a committed relationship, so it's not likely I'm still wooing hot chicks. Although, I admit it wouldn't be the first time I've been unaware of the growing affections of girls around me...

The last time I wooed a girl unknowingly...I didn't even realize until I had fallen as well...

I felt myself become sad at the memory. Your first love always seems to end the most painfully in terms of emotion.

I sighed. "Geez, at this rate, I might get so depressed I might need to get a drink."

Kazusa raised an eyebrow. "You're kind of underage, ya know?"

"Tch. Shut up. Your first drink was when you were 15." I retorted, clicking my tongue. "I had to carry you back to your room while you reeked of booze."

Kazusa stuck out his tongue at me. "Not my fault I got too drunk to recognize that I should stop drinking."

I snorted, suppressing a laugh at that. Despite being a jerk, Kazusa still possessed the ability to make me laugh when he acts stupid enough.

Maybe things haven't really changed-

RIIIIIIIING

I sighed, upset by how the ring of my cellphone ruined the reminiscing going on between me and Kazusa. It was one of the few times we weren't at each other's throats. When Kazusa WASN'T being a total asshole (which he was about 99% of the time), he was actually a bearable person. Not that I'd ever let him know I thought that.

Not wanting to upset whomever it was (especially if it was Koneko, she got really suspicious and jealous whenever I took too long to pick up), I picked up my cellphone and flipped it open, accepting the call.

I placed the speaker to my ear. "Hello?"

[What exactly have you been doing?]

I recognized Sona-senpai's irritated voice. I bit my lip. It would be bad if I told her I've been goofing off these last ten minutes or so, sitting by a convenience store and drinking juice.

"I...I've been patrolling and keeping an eye on the Fallen Angels."

Shit. I hesitated. I hope she won't pick up on that.

[Are you sure?] Shit. By the tone of her voice, she clearly did. [From what I've just heard from Rias, one of people you were supposed to be keeping an eye on killed someone who has been a person of interest in becoming a servant of either mine or Rias's.]

I felt my heart stop. "W-What?!" It couldn't be! This can't be true! The only Fallen Angel I hadn't checked up on was-

...Raynare...Dammit! I hesitated! Because of my lack of diligence, someone died...

I think that fact hurt me more than anything else...because of me, someone died.

I swallowed hard. "Who was it?"

Deep down, I think I knew. I've heard his name passed around by Rias-senpai and Sona-senpai in passing. I even heard Kazusa mutter his name every now and then.

[Hyoudou Issei. A Second Year. You have a class or two with him. I doubt you haven't heard of him considering that he's renowned as "The Worst Pervert" and the leader of the Perverted Trio.]

I felt my heart sink. Hyoudou...He...We had never been friends or anything...He ruined several of my perfect peeping spots...but I didn't really hate him. I never wanted to see that guy dead.

I didn't...but he is. He's dead.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

[You should report back with what you have gathered from your observations. Even nearly-worthless information about the Fallen Angels is better than no information at all.]

I could really tell that Senpai was disappointed with me. And here I was thinking my conscience couldn't become any more pained.

"...Yes, ma'am." I replied solemnly. "I'll be there as soon as possible. See you soon." I flipped my phone shut, sighing to myself. "Damn it..."

Kazusa looked at me with an amused smirk. "Oh? Did you do something wrong? Did your little pussy cat bear her cute, little claws at you?"

I shot an annoyed glare at Kazusa. "No...Fallen Angel Raynare killed someone."

That got Kazusa's attention. He seemed more interested as he inquired further. "No kiddin'? Who?"

"Issei Hyoudou." I answered, concerned at the sudden attention he was giving the matter.

"Then what do you care?" Kazusa asked in a flippant tone, as if I had simply said that someone poured water all over someone else's homework assignment. "Didn't you always say that guy pissed you off?"

"Yeah," I paused, taking a breath, "but I never wanted to see him dead...Damn that Raynare..."

"Hm...So this is what she was up to earlier..." Kazusa noted. I don't think he realized he said it aloud, but my eyes widened.

"Wait. You KNEW she was up to something?" I asked impatiently. "And you didn't deem it necessary to inform me of this?!"

"Yeah, so?"

"SO!?" I bursted out in anger. ""So" someone died! THAT is "so", you sociopathic asshole!" I stood up, tossing my can of juice away, all pretenses of peace thrown out the window. "As some point while you were being a total dickwad did you ever think "Hm, maybe I should tell Makoto about this. It sure might be important"?! Or maybe just a single word to possibly save someone's life?!"

Kazusa just casually sipped his drink. "I don't see what you're getting so hostile for. Hyoudou was a servant candidate for both Rias and Sona. Even if the Fallen Angel killed him, he'd probably be brought back with their Evil Pieces. He's probably alive right now, already reincarnated as a Devil."

"That's not the fucking point!" I grabbed Kazusa by the collar, ready to strangle him. He didn't react to it in the least, still giving me that infuriatingly calm gaze.

What did it take to get through to this guy!?

"He still died! He could've gone on to live a normal life! Maybe go through the whole thing without even realizing whatever power he had! It doesn't matter if he got brought back to life! We're responsible! I'M responsible! I'm the one who has to live knowing someone died because I wasn't keeping a careful enough eye on someone when it's supposed to be my job! And now I get to go be chewed out by Sona because you didn't bother telling me a piece of information that could've saved a guy's life! So thank you very much!"

To emphasize my point, I flipped Kazusa the bird, turning away before walking off.

* * *

**Kazusa's POV...**

I looked on as Mako left me all by my lonesome.

I continued staring off towards the horizon, watching as the twilight was swallowed by darkness, fading into night.

"Sorry..." I whispered to myself. I wasn't entirely sure if I was saying it to Mako or myself or Hyoudou. "Even if the Fallen Angel didn't kill him, it's impossible for those of us with abnormal powers to live normal lives. He would've been dragged into this bullshit sooner or later."

I dropped my drink on the ground to my side. "You should know that better than anyone, Mako. Just like with me and you, abnormal powers that exist within people usually cause them abnormal trouble." As if to emphasize my point, I felt a weight press down on my shoulders as I grabbed the Stone hanging on my necklace.

In this way, things really haven't changed for us.

Every battle we win or overcome just means there's a new and tougher one waiting for us over the horizon.

People die, friends change, you and I keep dragging ourselves forward.

That's how it's always been for us, Mako.

I opened my hand in front of me. After focusing for a few seconds, I watched calmly as a bright and beautiful flame lit up into existence in the center of my palm. It danced in a way that no words could ever completely describe.

Making sure no one else was around, I let my "hidden features" finally make themselves known...

Nine fluffy tails revealed themselves from between my lower back and my waist. Atop my head sprouted two, furry, fox ears.

I continued staring at the flame born from the power I had since birth.

Even with these powers of ours, it means nothing unless we can actually break this cycle...

We died because we failed to break it last time.

The only real question is when we'll get our next chance to try.

So, how can you believe that things have changed...

-Makoto?

* * *

**Aaaaaaand done.**

**I sincerely hoped you all enjoyed the first chapter of this joint project between us, CrimsonBlade11 and bamafelix.**

**The way we're writing is by alternating writing each chapter between us, so expect some differences in the style of each chapter. However, the character personalities will still remain relatively the same.**

**And for the record, Kazusa and Makoto's history together will be elaborated upon further as the story goes on. All that will be revealed right now is that they've known each other for quite a while.**

**Harems (subject to chance as the story progresses):**

**-Makoto: Koneko Toujou, Asia Argento, Tsubaki Shinra, Momo Hanakai, Xenovia, Rossweisse, Gabriel, **

**-Kazusa: Yasaka, Serafall Leviathan, Ravel Phenex, Kiyome Abe, Akeno Himejima, Kuroka,**

**Please be sure to review.**


	2. Life 1

**Disclaimer: We, bamafelix or CrimsonBlade11, own nothing involving DxD.**

**A/N:** _Well, here's the next chapter of the collaboration fic. This is my chapter, the next will be bamafelix._

**I Don't Want These Kinds of Heroes**

**Life 1: Digging Up Dirt**

**Kazusa's POV…**

"Huh. According to the schedule, my next contract appointment is in two hours…" I checked my phone as I walked towards my residence in Kuoh. School recently let out and I had quite a bit of time to kill, so I decided to head home to decompress. Hey, screwing with people is very stamina-intensive, especially if you want to do it right and well. And I do it often. I'm allowed a nap every other few hours to recharge. Serafall-sama approved of course; it's even in the contract she wrote up when she sent Mako and I up here to give Sona a little help…

I'm joking, unfortunately. Even with my beloved Mistress's childish exterior, she's very dedicated when it comes to getting work done. She just doesn't show it. Mako doesn't see that side of her because he's only her [Pawn] and not her right hand man. Though…now that I think about it, he wouldn't have the patience to get through the ridiculous amount of paper work that Serafall has to get through in a week. After going through a month of that hell, I have a perfect understanding of why she embraces the 'Tao of The Magical Girl'.

Yes. That's exactly what she told me when I asked her why she loved them so much. She wouldn't tell me much, only that if I wanted to know the specifics behind it, I'd have to join her.

I respectfully declined with the promise of deeply considering it. I was completely okay with her life choices, since I myself have done some questionable things in my own life.

Though, I will actually start to worry if she begins 'befriending' people.

…On the other hand, that would be incredibly hilarious to watch.

Fuck it. Befriend as many people as you want! My beloved Mistress, Serafall Leviathan!

I have an awesome Master, what can I say?

I reached my home, a condominium on the edge of town near the shopping district. It was fully purchased by Serafall for Mako and I when we first arrived, saying that as 'Levia-tan's precious Servants, we only deserved the best'; having practically the whole place to myself is almost as good as watching Mako getting his ass thrown around like a ragdoll while fighting Behemoth.

Have I mentioned how awesome my Master is?

Typing in the security code, I heard the hidden mechanism click and pushed the door open to walk inside. Cheerfully greeting the doorman, I pushed the button to call the elevator. While I waited for it to arrive, I checked the mail for fan letters and the occasional love letter.

Yes. I did not misspeak. Mako and I receive love letters and fan letters. I'm fine with the latter, but the former just makes me giggle nervously.

After a few months of getting used to being a Devil, Serafall had the fantastic idea of putting the two of us in her TV show, Miracle Levia-tan. We're not her sidekicks, thankfully, but we were made into semi-regulars. Our characters aren't really that important to the plot, comic relief mostly. Or at least…at first. With our appearance in the show, viewership skyrocketed amongst the female demographic. The teenagers and early twenty year old women loved Mako for his 'scruffy bad boy' look, while I attracted more of the younger girls, because my fox ears and nine tails looked 'so fluffy and adorable'.

That damn Mutt was so smug when we were told of this. Daring to go so far as to call me 'Loli-bait'.

Needless to say, he got his comeuppance.

When it came to the letters, however, I either tossed them out (the love letters primarily) or replied with a thankful kindness (just the fan letters). The latter was something only Serafall knew of, gratefully, since this was not something I could let Makoto know, else my carefully constructed façade of being a heartless bastard would be ruined.

Not really. I just didn't want to put up with his incessant, sarcastic prattle of me actually 'having a heart' for eternity. I just have a soft spot for kids, due to a certain nine year old Kyuubi in Kyoto. A secret I keep closer to heart than the stores of blackmail I have stashed all across the Kuoh and the Underworld.

Hearing the elevator ding, I put all of my mail in a stack and walked inside. I put in my floor and watched as the doors close and felt the metal box rise up the many floors. Whistling nonchalantly, I tapped my foot to a beat only I can hear. Casually flipping through my letters, I arched an eyebrow at the sight of a return address of the latest politician running for office. "Well, if he sent me this, things must be going well for him." I paused and snorted, "Of course, after the trouble I went through to find dirt on his opponent in the polls, he damn well better win."

It seems my time with Serafall and her work showed that I had some talent in politics. Well, since it is a cutthroat and ruthless battle, it's only natural that a Kyuubi would be good at it, especially considering my heritage…

I scowled faintly at the thought, quickly at that, feeling the Stone more prominently than seconds before. "Enough of that. I need to take a quick nap before I'm called for my contract…"

The elevator dinged as it reached my floor and I stepped out through the open door. As I made my way down the hall to my room, I paused when I saw a familiar young woman in a light purple dress with dark purple accents and a small blue bow. She was leading a group of movers in and out of the room, politely giving out directions. Her long blonde hair was tied into a set of twin-tails with large drill like curls. Arching an eyebrow, I resumed my trek. "Um, Ravel, can I help you?" I called out to her with a playful tone.

Ravel Phenex jumped and turned to face me, her bright blue eyes widening and her face flushing a faint pink. "Ah, Kazusa-sama, I'm, um, just directing the movers where to place my things…" She clasped her hands in front of her, bashfully swaying in front of me.

Giving her an amused smirk, I peeked around the propped open door to see a group of uniformed men walking around my living room, moving boxes around. "I can see that." I said with a faintly sarcastic drawl. Looking back towards her, I crossed my arms and cocked my head to the side. "The question I'm trying to get to is: why?"

Ravel cleared her throat, straightened her posture and curtsied cutely. "You're looking at the newest member of Leviathan-sama's Peerage: her [Bishop]." She smiled widely, her face flushing ever so lightly. "I look forward to working closely with you, Kazusa-sama!"

I blinked at that, a little taken aback by, apparently, my new kouhai's appearance. Now, unlike that moronic mutt, I'm able to tell if someone likes me in a romantic sense. My common sense was already telling me that the youngest Phenex had a thing for the resident Kyuubi. Granted, I noticed her attitude change awhile back, after I had personally kicked her brother's arrogant ass. Do I know the exact reason why she's ended up liking me? Nope. I don't pretend to know how the female mind works. I'ma Kyuubi, not a mind reader. "I thought you were in Host-Club-Dropout's Peerage. Were his rates not good enough for you? Or was his harem too depraved?" I asked without any venom in my words, as if simply stating a fact.

She pouted at that, "Please don't insult Onii-sama, Kazusa-sama…" She paused and gave a regretful sigh, "Even if the last statement was true…" Ravel quickly shook her head and continued. "I just thought that I could my talents would be better appreciated if I were in Leviathan-sama's Peerage." Her eyes locked onto mine and could feel her waiting for me respond favorably.

Okay, that is just not fair. I thought I was immune to the doe-eyed, expectant stare thanks to my raging cynicism, but this girl apparently knew where the chinks in my armor were.

Restraining a sigh, I gave her a lopsided smile and hesitantly placed a hand on her head. "I look forward to working with you in the future, Ravel." She smiled beautifully as she flushed at the contact. "Besides, I think I'll need an assistant for all the paperwork Serafall-sama has me doing. Mako's too stupid to do it and Behemoth has other duties to take care of." I decided not to say that he'd probably break my desk, or my face, if I even hinted at it.

Ravel gave me a resolute look and frowned cutely. "Don't worry, Kazusa-sama! I'll do my very best to help you!"

I gave a faint laugh as I pulled my hand from her head. "Thank you. Now, let's hurry and get everything in place. I need to take a nap and eat, since I have to meet a client in a few hours." Ravel gave a resolute nod and turned to the movers, asking them to pick up the pace in her serious voice.

* * *

"So…what do you think, Kazusa-sama?" Ravel asked shyly as she stood in front of me, shuffling her feet nervously.

I looked to the cake that sat on the plate in front of me. It was in the shape of a triangle and meticulously decorated with a judicious amount of red and white icing. Apparently, she had started making a small cake for me as part of a house-warming present for staying with me. Granted, it was on Serafall's orders that she had to stay in the building, but it was my floor that she had chosen… Along with the second, unused bedroom in my personal condo.

It was after getting everything set up and my short nap, to which Ravel woke me at the time I asked her to. It was absolutely adorable seeing her stare at my tails with wonder.

Carefully cutting a piece off of the work of art, I took a bite. Pulling the fork out, I chewed and tasted the cake slowly to savor it. After a moment, I leaned back in my seat and released a faint moan as I finished that bite. Giving Ravel a half-lidded look, I smiled easily, "That was amazing, Ravel." She beamed widely, her face turning a shade of pink. Taking another bite, I motioned for her to sit across from me so she could start eating her own snack. "I don't care what Serafall-sama says, you're now my personal assistant. If you're good at doing paperwork, then you'll be perfect."

Ravel hummed happily as she took a sip of tea. "I'm glad you like it, Kazusa-sama. I'll gladly make it whenever you ask me."

Finishing my third bite, I shook my head quickly. "Please don't! I have an addiction to sweets and I'd rather not get too used to something like this." Licking the icing off the fork, I leaned back in my seat. "Your marvelous cakes must be a treat that I look forward to for a celebration!" I lifted my fork and pointed upwards, as if making a royal decree. I paused and flinched lightly, Serafall's childish exuberance has been affecting me far too much…

Ravel giggled into her hand, "Well, if that's what you want then I don't mind. I'm just happy that you like my pastry." She paused and continued, "How are the rest of Leviathan-sama's Peerage?"

I paused and cocked my head to the side, taking another slow bite of the cake. Savoring the delectable taste, I finished it and answered carefully. "Mmm, Behemoth is still in the Underworld. He doesn't do much, aside from eating the occasional intruder and unwanted guest." I lazily waved to the side. "Mako's been busy with whatever goes through his head. Though, he's been rather smitten with that Nekoshou girlfriend of his… It's been how long?" I muttered uncaringly, shrugging as I took another bite of the cake.

The Phenex girl frowned faintly at the mention of the Nekoshou. She's actually met Koneko a few times, whenever Riser felt like being an annoying jackass and dropped by the Gremory household, bringing Ravel along with him. It seems the racial animosity of the Cat and the Bird is strong in those two. Good. Very good. It's almost as strong as the dislike of the Dog and the Fox. I approve of the conflict.

"Oh, I almost forgot that he liked the Cat."

I blinked at that, feeling myself grinning faintly at the subtle venom I heard in her voice. Will I have a convert to the Way of the Troll? Oh, I'd absolutely love to have such a cute disciple. "Speaking of the Cat, is Serafall-sama having you enter Kuoh?"

Ravel nodded once, smiling faintly. "Yes. I'm going in as a First Year tomorrow. I even have my uniform in the other room! What Year are you, Kazusa-sama?"

"Third. The mutt is a Second Year." I looked down at my plate and saw that I was down to a single forkful of delicious devilish heaven. Feeling as if I kicked a baby fox, I held back a despondent sigh as I ate the last bit of the cake.

She let out a faint giggle. "Don't worry, Kazusa-sama, there's another slice left in the fridge."

I gave her a look similar to a man lost in the desert seeing an oasis. "I…I'm seriously considering asking you to marry me, Ravel." Carefully putting the fork on my plate, I kept my tone completely under control as I looked to her.

Almost immediately, Ravel's face turned a bright red as she began to stutter and wring her hands in embarrassment. "M-M-Marriage! T-T-To say s-s-such a thing so e-e-e-early is too sudden!" She looked up to me to see a large grin on my face, to which she pouted at me. "You're teasing me!"

I let out a soft laugh, "When it's so easy I just can't help it." Checking the clock, I felt my eyes widen lightly. "It's nearly time for my contract. Hold down fort for me?" Still pouting at me, she nodded and got up from her seat at the time as I did. Following me into the living room, she stood across from me as I created the teleportation seal under my feet. "No wild parties without me, you hear? It'd kill my ego if I wasn't the center of attention." I grinned at her as the light of the seal began to pick up.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Ravel bowed her head. "Good luck with your contract, Kazusa-sama!"

"I'll bring something special for you as a housewarming gift. See you in a little bit, Ravel." Waving lightly, my body was engulfed by the light and I was transferred out of my condo.

When the light died down, I now stood in a swanky penthouse suit with a large half-circle couch, a small end table with an assortment of drinks and two glasses. "Right on time." I turned to regard my client. The man was around my height with medium length black hair and blonde bangs. He wore a lounging yukata and looked to me with calculating violet eyes.

"I always try to be punctual." I stepped over to the couch and dropped down into it, leaning back with a faint smirk. "I see you have the drinks ready."

"And you have the stories?" The man took the seat across from me and poured two drinks, handing me a glass. "I sincerely hope you can top the last one. I'm still laughing about the outcome."

I grinned and chuckled, faintly sniffing the contents, feeling the burn of alcohol sear my nostrils. "I always do. Is there anything special you wanted to hear?"

"That depends on your price for this contract."

I cocked my head to the side, taking a small sip of the sake. It burned going down, but it didn't affect me as much as it did the first time I ever drank. "I'm looking for information."

"What type of information?"

"Information that connects to an annoying pervert dying earlier today." I answered without a care in the world. I may have not really cared that Hyoudou died, as callous as that sounds, but it's important to Makoto. I pay back my debts, considering today was supposed to be my turn on watch duty…

The man rubbed the goateed chin. "That'll require a story funny enough to make it difficult to breathe…"

I felt a faint smirk appear on my face as I chuckled. "I've got just the one."

After all, who better to get information on the movement of small fry Fallen Angels than the Governor General of Grigori, Azazel himself?

* * *

**Makoto's POV…**

"I got so scolded by Sona-kaichou. I hope she doesn't say anything to Serafall-sama…" I said with a scowl as I walked to school alongside Koneko, who was nibbling on a random sweet she had me buy her as an apology for yesterday.

"…Why?"

"I was supposed to be watching the Fallen Angels yesterday, but when I took a break, one of them killed Hyoudou Issei." I grumbled, kicking at a rock that was in my path, sending it skipping away from us.

Koneko frowned in thought. Seeing that, I couldn't help but feel a little happier. She's always looked so damn ADORABLE when she thinks really hard! "…Hyoudou? The pervert that Buchou had me trail until yesterday?"

I nodded at that, placing my arms behind my head as we continued to walk. "Yeah, that one. Apparently he was tricked into going on a date with Fallen Angel and was killed because of his Sacred Gear." I growled and snarled to the side. "That jackass Kazusa had the gall to not say anything about her when he found me yesterday!" I let out a tired sigh, letting my arms to my sides. "I mean, c'mon! It was supposed to be his turn and he tricked me into playing some stupid games with that day on the line. If he didn't cheat, then I would've won!"

Koneko looked at me with her empty expression for a few seconds of silence. "…Kazusa-senpai cheats. You know that. Why'd you play then?"

I paused and tried to remember what caused me to accept his challenge. Suddenly, the thought hit me. We suddenly began arguing about…something. We argue about the dumbest things, I know that, but there was something significant that he said to me that pissed me off something fierce…

"I…don't remember…" I said as I sheepishly scratched the back of my head with a chuckle.

Koneko gave me a deadpan look before shaking her head.

"Well, I'll have to find Hyoudou today in school…" When Koneko gave me a questioning look, I answered her. "It's technically my fault that he got killed, so I'm going to apologize." I paused and frowned deeply. "It's also Kazusa's fault since he didn't say anything, but I don't think he'll ever apologize."

Feeling a hand grasp my own, I looked over to Koneko to see her blushing faintly as she resolutely stared forward. "…Stop moping and let's hurry to school."

I felt a grin appear on my face as I nodded. "Of course!"

With that, we walked hand in hand towards Kuoh Academy. All was right in the world as I held my cute girlfriends hand. With her at my side I was sure this day couldn't be ruined by anyth-

"Hey! Look at you two, acting all lovey-dovey. I could take a picture, put a cheesy caption under it and make a fortune with Hallmark."

Damn, I spoke too soon. My day just went to shit already.

"What do you want Kazu-" Koneko and I turned around to see Kazusa standing there with…Ravel Phenex?! "She's here?! Does that mean the annoying Yakitori is nearby!?" Wait! She was wearing a Kuoh school uniform, but with a sweater instead of the corset/shoulder cape. Huh… She filled it out rather well.

Ravel scowled at me, but seemed to recognize I was checking her out and hid behind Kazusa. I even bit back a whine as Koneko squeezed my hand painfully tight. "Don't insult Onii-sama!" She retorted immediately, peeking out from behind the bastard.

"Mako, keep your eyes level, else I'll make you see things that'll make you cringe." Kazusa said darkly, that annoyingly calm grin on his face. I closed my mouth with a click, knowing full well he wasn't bluffing. I still glared though, I hated that name. "Anyway, the reason Ravel is here is because of one reason, my flea-ridden friend." He motioned to her with a grin and I tried to ignore the insult, it was far too early to argue with him. "Say hello to your new kouhai. She's Serafall-sama's newest Bishop."

That caused the two of us to freeze at his words, which seemed to entertain him even more as his grin widened. My gaze flickered to Koneko, who suddenly began to glare at Kazusa. I also began to glare at him. "This is your fault." I said plainly.

He simply grinned wider. "I can't control Ravel-chan's actions. She asked our King if she could join, and Serafall-sama said 'yes'." Kazusa looked down to Ravel. "Right?"

"Of course." She smiled up to Kazusa, which caused my glare to darken even more.

"…Definitely your fault." Koneko said in a deadpan.

Kazusa waved a hand lazily. "Aw, calm down, Neko, Mako. School's about to start in a little and we don't want to be late, do we? After all, it wouldn't be nice to cause Ravel-chan to be late for her first day."

I snorted at him and simply shook his head. "Let's go, Koneko." She nodded and walked at my side as we continued our way to school. I could hear the two of them following us vaguely catching Kazusa's soft laughter.

As we neared the school, I heard Kazusa call out to me. "So-tan won't call Serafall-sama, you know."

"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused lightly. Why wouldn't she call our Master? I failed in my duty.

"I…spoke to her yesterday afternoon after meeting my client. It took a little negotiation, but I managed to assuage her anger a bit. No need to worry now. We have the time to tell Serafall-sama ourselves."

I frowned and looked over my shoulder, catching his easygoing smirk. "What did you do?"

"Nothing I don't normally do." THAT is what I'm concerned about. "It's just this one time, though, so try not to fuck up again." I growled at him. It wasn't MY fault I screwed up, you bastard! "Geh!" I heard Kazusa grunt in pain and looked over my shoulder to see Ravel looking up to him a frown.

"Leviathan-sama asked me to curb your language, Kazusa-sama." She said with polite reproach, to which I smirked triumphantly. Serves you right, dick!

He grumbled under his breath. "I'm not the only who curses you know…" Then he sighed heavily, "One more thing, Mako. Meet me on the roof at lunch, alone. There's something important I need to tell you. I think you'll be pissed with me just a little less than normal."

"Just a little less?" I asked him with a skeptical tone.

Kazusa snorted, "Of course. It's my prerogative to piss you off. I just have to keep it a constant level, not too high, and not too low." I could picture him grinning and it just pissed me off a little bit more.

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise~" He said in a sing-song tone, making me frown heavily. I hated his surprises with a passion. The last one had me smelling like three week old onions for two weeks straight.

"Fine." I gave him a glare over my shoulder. "This better not be one of your tricks, Kazusa. I'm not in the mood for one of your games."

Kazusa simply gave me an enigmatic smirk. "That's the thing Mako. It doesn't matter if you're in the mood or not. The game will always happen. I thought you already knew that…"

* * *

I'm not in many of Hyoudou's classes, so I wouldn't be able to see him until around lunch time. Even though he told me to him on the roof, I didn't exactly give Kazusa a definitive answer, so the asshole can just wait. I've got a few things I need to take care of before seeing him. Serves him right being an asshole.

Leaning forward, I looked inside of the room and caught sight of my target. Stepping into the door, I called out to him. "Hey, Hyoudou! I need to talk to you."

He had brown hair and brown eyes, looking like a normal guy to be honest. You wouldn't expect a guy like him to have a Sacred Gear powerful enough to catch the eye of Fallen Angels.

He gave me a frown. "Uh, sure. But why?" He said as he walked over to me.

I frowned lightly and motioned for him to follow. "There's something I want to ask you." Issei nodded, but looked confused as he followed me out of the room. As we walked down the hall, I couldn't help but notice that we were being followed…by the other members of the Perverted Trio. Ugh! Can't you assholes stay away!? "Hyou-"

"Ah! Before you say anything, I have to ask!" He spoke up suddenly, looking at me with a begging expression. "I know I didn't introduce her to you, but you saw her right? Yuuma-chan? The black-haired girl with the big oppai dressed in another school's uniform?"

Yuuma-chan…? Raynare! That was the name she was using! "How many people have you asked about this?"

"Everyone!" He said with a growl, glaring off to the side. "No matter who I ask, they all think I've gone crazy from watching too much porn. That's ridiculous, right? There's no such thing as too much porn. Granted, my wrist gets tired at times and there can be a rather large mess, but that's besi-"

"Hyoudou! Focus!" I grabbed him by his arms and shook him, feeling both disgusted and frustrated with him at the moment. I didn't need to hear about him playing with himself! Nasty! "Back to this 'Yuuma-chan'. What was the last thing you remember?"

He frowned in thought. "The last thing I remember about last night was seeing Yuuma-chan grow wings and…and…"

I felt my eyes widen. This could be important! I could find out what Raynare was planning! Fallen Angels always gloat before killing their target! It's in the villain's contract and everything! …Ugh, dammit, Serafall-sama! Your magical girl TV show is making me think of the strangest crap! "What? What did you see?" I whispered earnestly.

"And such glorious, bare oppai." Hyoudou giggled faintly, eyes glazing over as I swear I saw blood beginning to drip from his nose. For a moment, I was tempted to slap the shit out of him, but I knew that was something Kazusa would do. Since it's something he'd do, I decided not to do it. Anything to spite that bastard is fine with me.

Grabbing the daydreaming idiot, I shook him to bring him back. "Look. What do you remember seeing that has nothing to do with oppai?"

Pushing my hands off him, he gave me a faint glare. "Why should I tell you? I could have been hallucinating the entire thing.

"Do you honestly believe that?" I retorted, trying to rein in my frustration.

Hyoudou frowned as he gave me a faint glare. After a few seconds of our silent standoff, he sighed faintly. "She grew wings and stabbed me with a spear that she summoned out of nowhere. That's all I remember. I don't know… That part may have been a dream."

Well, at least I already knew something like that happened. Okay, time to drop a bomb on him. "Hyoudou, there's someth-"

"Makoto." I jumped at the sudden voice appearing. Looking to the side, I saw Sona approaching the two of us. "Kazusa is waiting for you on the roof." She frowned, clearly not happy being a gofer. Truthfully, I felt a little vindicated by that; she's always used one of us as a messenger, so it felt rather…fitting. "I don't know what he wants to tell you, but apparently it's important."

I frowned at that and said, "I'll get to him la-"

"I recommend you go now, Makoto. Lunch doesn't last that long to begin with and he was rather insistent that the information he wanted to tell you was important." I scowled to the side and nodded to her, not liking it one bit.

I turned to Hyoudou and said, "I'll get back to you later. Just…be careful at night. It's not safe for anyone to be out alone." He gave me a confused look, but nodded regardless. I sighed and started to walk away. "I have stuff to do after school, Kaichou?"

She shook her head. "Not today. Your…guardian is insistent I give you a day off after particular tough errands." Sona spoke carefully, making sure to not give out too much information while Hyoudou was near. "Just make sure to tell Kazusa to go to the Student Council room after school today."

I snorted at that, "It's not like he won't try to get out of it."

"If you leave before he provokes you, then it shouldn't be a problem." If I didn't know Sona, then I would be swearing up and down that she just made a joke…

* * *

I stepped onto the roof, closing the door behind me. Turning to the side, I caught sight of Kazusa simply standing near the edge while staring off to the distance. It was slightly windy day so the breeze was causing his opened jacket to flutter in the wind. Another thing that struck me was the fact that he had let his fox ears out, though from the back, it looked like they were tufts of hair flapping about in the air. "I'm here, Kazusa. What is this information you're so excited about?"

He didn't reply immediately, simply cocking his head to the side, his way of subtly acknowledging my presence, but telling me to be patient. A breath escaped him as he lifted his hands, stretching audibly as he rolled his shoulders. "Its days like these that make me want to take a nap. A nice breeze, the sun gently beating down on us mere mortals and the glorious scent of nature." He sucked in a breath through his teeth and exhaled just as quickly. "Ah, Mother Nature tastes best on days like this! Free, not held down and uncaring of the troubles of the world."

I fought back the urge to tell him to hurry up. Its times like this that make it difficult to realize if he's joking or not. "Yes. It does." I said through gritted teeth.

Kazusa lifted his hands as if trying to grasp the sky. "I can remember the first day we stepped into the Human world as Devils. It was freeing, liberating, with so many new and fantastic routes for us to take." He clenched his fist and turned to the side, baring his teeth in a wide grin, eyes glinting in a way that nearly made me step back in hesitation. Oh, no. He's in one of those moods… "But more than that, we were given a goal. Move forward! Rank up! Fulfill contracts! Shmooze with the masses and gain their favor." He clapped his hands together, before slowly pulling them apart, revealing a small ball of flame the size of a 100 yen coin. "It was as if we were born for it…"

I didn't reply, simply preparing myself to bolt in the opposite direction, off the edge of the roof if need do. I was NOT dealing with an extra-insane Kazusa today.

"We were given a second chance to retaliate against those who hurt us so…" He clenched his fist suddenly, snuffing the flame without a second thought. "A chance to show everyone that we're not people to fuck with, at all." Kazusa let out a small laugh, spinning around on a heel to face back over the edge of the school. "The people out there, the sheep, know nothing of the world we've lived in, fought in, died in; they nothing of the conflicts that perpetuate themselves in a never-ending cycle of violence and death that goes on around them. They simply go about their day, drowning in their ignorance and self-entitlement." He snorted and crossed his arms, a small laugh escaping him as his shoulders shook.

I felt my shoulders droop as I palmed my face. Great. He's waxing poetic. Where's a hammer when you need one? I'd rather be unconscious with a concussion that listen to this annoying Fox prattle on and on about nothing. "What are you TALKING about?"

"What I'm trying to tell you is that you should stop fretting over every little thing." Kazusa turned to face me, his expression drawn into a fierce scowl, surprising me with his sudden shift in mood. "I'm getting tired of hearing you mope and bitch over every little thing. Yes! You fucked up; so did I, there I admit it. I fucked up; you fucked up. Our entire lives have been the result of a fuck up that someone else caused for us; you didn't let it stop you before, so why are you letting it now?" He let out a frustrated snarl and narrowed his eyes at me, causing a chill to race up my spine. "Someone died. Someone always dies. Get over it. Tell him you're sorry and get over it; I won't have the one Dog I acknowledge as an ally mope and pace around in self-pity while the bitch who fucked things up for you is still breathing and unharmed."

I felt my hackles rise in response to his dressing down, baring my teeth in defiance. "I'm not moping, Kazusa! What happened was my, and your, fault, so it's only fair that we both pay for it!" Stepping forward, I met his eyes without a care for retaliation. "Why did you really call me up here?! Was it to just to call me out like this?!"

Kazusa's grin returned full-force, though it had a malicious edge to it. "Raynare got you in trouble, right? Well, I got it from a very reliable source that they stepped outside their orders, removing any and all political protection they had from Grigori." He stepped forward and grabbed me by the shoulders, looking me right in the eye. "There are Fallen Angels in Devil Territory, without any sort of legitimate reason to stay here uncontested."

"What are you trying to say?"

Is possible, Kazusa's grin widened, showing more of his teeth. "They've been disavowed, Mutt. Raynare, Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, and Mittelt are all holed in our territory. They killed someone under our, tertiary, protection, and haven't paid the price." He let out a dark laugh, stepping away from me as he turned partially to overlook the schoolyard.

"You want to…kill them?"

Kazusa simply turned his head towards me, giving me a blank stare. "Kill them? Not necessarily." He smirked faintly, shrugging lightly. "They're no longer protected by Grigori for breaking orders; yet, they're still here to poach Sacred Gear hosts." He absently lifted a hand, casually flicking the Stone that hung from his necklace. I scowled at it, recognizing his tic for what it was. "Death isn't the only way to dissuade people sneaking into our town."

"I think you should head home, Kazusa." I gave him a measuring look, my eyes flickering to the Stone. "Her Stone is affecting you. I think it's time for you to rest." It almost…hurt to show him that small amount concern.

He simply frowned severely, giving me a faint glare for mentioning it. "I'm fine, Makoto." The fact that he called me by my whole first name indicated otherwise. "Worry about yourself." Kazusa rolled a single shoulder, crossing his arms. "Besides, one of us needs to show Ravel around town afterschool, and it's pretty clear that you'd prefer to stay with Koneko."

I frowned at that. While he was actually right, which I honestly didn't want to admit , I really was concerned that the Killing Stone was affecting his mental state. Holding something that housed the hatred of a very powerful, but still dead, Kyuubi can't be healthy for one's mental state. "Kazusa-"

"Makoto…" Kazusa cut me off, his voice rough and angry, as he glared at me through narrowed eyes. "You're being stupidly honest again. Stop."

I huffed and turned to walk back inside. "Fine. I'm taking the day off anyway. Sona wants to meet you after school for a task anyhow. Take care, asshole."

"Use protection while you're out with Neko-chan~." He called out playfully as I left the roof.

* * *

**Kazusa's POV…**

Dammit, I hated it when Makoto was right.

I had opted to skip the afternoon classes after lunch period in order to rest. Glaring down at the Stone that hung from a necklace, I released a calming breath as I relaxed in a tree.

The Killing Stone, or Sessho-Seki, is the receptacle of the late Tamamo-no-Mae's hatred and malice, which resulted from her death at the hands of Muira-no-suke and Kazusa-no-suke, my namesake ironically enough. I won't go into the specifics of her death, since I've studied it to hell and back, but I had to learn it through my growth in my early years. I was given the Stone as a…test of sorts by my caretakers. Needless to say, I passed, while everyone around me died.

Probably the reason why that I'm the asshole that I am; after all, what would one expect, giving a seven year old a Stone famous for killing all who touch it in the hopes of proving that he's descended from history's most powerful, and infamous, Kyuubi. I used to be such a nice child, helpful and polite, without a mean bone in my body.

Then my eyes were open to the cruelties of this world when those power-hungry assholes decided to forcefully prove my ancestry. To this day, I don't remember what happened after they put the Killing Stone in my hands, just seeing the smoking the ruins of my old home after I had returned to the land of the conscious.

The only people who kept me from becoming someone without a conscience were a pair of Kyuubi who accepted me regardless of my circumstances and an annoying Mutt without a name. For future reference, if you don't want an eternal annoyance to follow you around, don't give him a name. He'll never leave you alone.

In spite of that thought, I couldn't fight the faint, fond, smile that appeared on my face as I recalled my first meeting with Makoto. Let me put it in context: he tried to steal from me, I kicked his malnourished ass, gave him some scraps out of pity, fought him again and gave him a name. A rather barebones explanations, but it was the start of something…illuminating.

Even after all these years, I get the occasional assault of dark emotions that threaten to overwhelm my mind, pushing for me to do any manner of evil deeds for the lulz. Only a few people know the full truth about the Stone I always keep with me, and why I keep it with me in spite of the danger, Makoto and Serafall being the only two. The Stone was moved, thus removing the anchor that had previously kept Tamamo-no-Mae's part-mortem malice from running rampant. As her only descendant, I'm the one person capable of 'safely' keeping it contained. I can contain it with only some issue, but it's really negligible.

Well…if one would call the painfully slow deterioration of my mental health negligible, then yeah, that is the case. I can slow, or flat out stop, the deterioration with a few self-medicated prescriptions: giving into my darker urges. Well, 'dark' is kind of a misnomer, but I can't really find anything else to name it. I technically have to act with the intent to harm, either emotionally, mentally or physically. I have to, otherwise the Stone drowns me in its seemingly endless hatred. So, I act like a dick without a care in the world. Thankfully, Serafall-sama gives me leeway with my destructive impulses when it comes to Stray Devils. Oh…I enjoy hunting those crazies down way too much…

"Kazusa-kun? What happened to you? You missed the afternoon classes." A soft, naturally sultry, voice pulled me from my contemplative slumber. Blinking awake in my unusually comfortable tree-bed, I turned my head to see a bombshell of a 3rd year. Akeno Himejima is one hell of a woman, I'll gladly admit. She practically hit all of my preferences in a girl. Medium height with dark hair long enough to fall to her feet even when tied up with that delightful orange ribbon. A rocking body with a pair of magnificent breasts (102 cm!), with a slim waist that tapered off into a very firm, yet plump backside. Not only that, but her very personality sends shivers down my spine; a natural sadist that doesn't hesitate to try and find what you react to; as well as a masochist, to boot! The latter isn't all known though, fortunately for her reputation.

If she had a pair of twin-tails, I'd have lost control of all of my faculties and follow her around like a love-struck puppy. Thank my dead ancestor for small mercies. I'd have told Makoto to kill me on the spot for acting like a…_dog_.

She and I regularly trade ideas on how to torment others in the most efficient manner. It's such a blessing I met like her, I'm sure even the hatred of Tamamo-no-Mae residing in the Stone acknowledges Akeno's sadistic side.

Truthfully, since we've been seen together so often on campus, there's a rumor going around that we're dating. Neither of us have seen fit to dissuade them of that notion, in spite of the fact that technically, we aren't.

"Huh? Akeno-san? Hm. I haven't felt well today, is all. I felt like taking a break from class today and taking a well-deserved nap."

"In a tree?" She deadpanned in that silky smooth of hers, sending shivers down my spine. Damn, I love her voice!

"Far more comfortable than those beds in the infirmary."

"A quirk from your wild days, I take it?" Akeno asked me playfully as she watched me drop down onto the ground in a single continuous motion.

"Quite possibly." I answered with a playful smirk, getting her to laugh lightly into her hand. Smoothing out my jacket and pants, I motioned for Akeno to lead the way. "What have you been up to lately, Akeno-san? Rias-san working you hard?" She began walking and I fell in step with her effortlessly.

Akeno smiled lightly and gave me a playful look. "Oh, I'm sure you'd love to see Buchou working me hard, wouldn't you, Kazusa-kun~?"

I gave her a placid smirk, "I'm not going to lie, the thought has crossed my mind."

She 'ufufu'ed behind her hand, but answered my previous question. "It's nothing I can't handle, just getting the clubroom prepared for when Buchou sees fit to bring in our newest member."

I nodded at that, humming faintly. "Ah, I heard. Hyoudou… One of Kuoh Academy's many perverts. I'd say I'm surprised that he'd have a powerful Sacred Gear, but I'm honestly not…"

Akeno cocked her head to the side. "It came as a surprise to hear that he was killed though. Were one of them able to slip under yours and Makoto-san's eye?"

"Mako was watching three of them and I ran into the fourth. I gave her…a stern warning before I departed, but…" I shook my head and ruefully clicked my tongue. "She went and got Mako in trouble."

"Oh, what happened?"

"I made a sadist's biggest mistake, Akeno-san." I sighed heavily as I over exaggerated my actions. "I had too much fun. So much so, that I forgot to tell Mako of her movements. Forgive me! For I have blundered!" I bowed my head to the girl next to me, smiling faintly as I heard her controlled laughter.

"Well, if you're feeling so repentant, then I'll forgive you." Akeno answered imperiously as I raised my head. "You were, after all, engaging in a time honored craft. Such a thing is understandable." She paused, placing a finger on her chin. "Though it is regretful that Hyoudou-san died, he'll be treated well in Buchou's Peerage. Hopefully, we can train him up well enough to…" She paused and leveled me a measuring look. "Is it true that you escorted Ravel Phenex here?"

I nodded without shame at her questioning look. "Yes. It is true. She requested to be transferred into Serafall-sama's Peerage and was accepted. I'm simply doing my duty as her senpai in helping her get acclimatized." I paused and smiled deviously, "If I happen to come across any secret info about the Yakitori's Peerage, I'll consider passing it along."

Akeno pouted at me, "Only consider?"

I gave her a playfully affronted look. "Well, yes. I have to treat the secrets told to me by a Lady with the utmost care. What type of man do you take me for?"

"The type who enjoys tormenting others." Akeno answered easily, bringing a knowing smile to my face.

"Oh. You _do_ care, Akeno-san. Though, there are a few people who are exempt from my devious machinations."

"Am I one of them?" She asked innocently.

I gave her a grin, sliding right up to her side, glad that she didn't make any move contrary to it. "That depends. Do you want to be?" I let my voice flow out in a coarse whisper, causing an almost unnoticeable to race down Akeno's spine and a faint flush to appear on her features. With that, we came to a stop and she met my eyes with her own. Her violet meeting my amber, I felt her hand grasp the side of my jacket and slid herself closer, learning upwards…

"Ahem. I don't care what you do in private, but try to not do this in public." I felt a spike of frustration shoot through me, no doubt exacerbated by the Stone's influence, as I looked to the intruder: Sona and a faintly blushing Ravel at her side. "Honestly, you're both lucky that the other student aren't around, otherwise the rumors surrounding the two of you will become even more unbearable."

Akeno tittered behind her hand as she slowly broke away from me, "Oh, Kaichou, I don't see what the problem is."

I shrugged in response, smiling lightly. "All they really are is the jealous ramblings of the guys and the confused intentions of the girls. I don't really care what they say about me…" I paused and cocked my head to the side, "Though, I'm more than willing to set them straight if some enterprising individuals try to start any improper rumors about one of Kuoh's Onee-sama's." I said with a foreboding grin.

Sona frowned as Akeno flushed lightly at my words. Sona continued, "While I'm honestly glad that you're willing to do something selfless like that, I can't have you torturing other students with your illusions." She paused and frowned even deeper. "Speaking of which, how is it you and Akeno were able to walk through this part of the campus without running into other students?"

"Illusions." I answered succinctly, smiling playfully. "I was taking a nap and didn't want to be interrupted. Akeno-san happened to work her way through them and woke me up in time."

Sona pinched the bridge of her nose. "Normally, I'd tell you not to do that, but I remember Onee-sama telling me that you were allowed to occasionally skip class if your…" She furrowed her brow, confused. "Illness acted up." She gave me a searching look. "What illness?"

Even Ravel looked concerned at that. "You're sick, Kazusa-sama?"

As did Akeno, worry present in her expressive eyes. "Kazusa-kun?"

Dammit, Sona. This isn't something I want out there. "It's not necessarily an illness, I just get hit with the occasional moment of severe exhaustion. It's a…Kyuubi trait I inherited, unfortunately." I had to fight the urge to grab the Stone out of reflex.

That caused Sona to nod faintly, and did not dispel the worry in the other girls' gazes, but they relented. "I…see. Next time, try to let me know when it hits. I can set something up for you in the infirmary."

"Let me sleep in a tree. I don't like the infirmary to be honest. Now, what is it you need me to do today? I may have tricked Mako yesterday, but I know not to push my luck too often. Lay it on me, So-chan." I quickly changed the subject as I tried to throw Sona off.

It didn't work as well as I hoped, considering she simply searched my gaze for any deceit. Apparently, she saw none, as she simply sighed and said, "Ravel-san found me after classes let out and told me of her new situation, which Onee-sama failed to inform me of prior to arrival." She scowled and shook her head. "All I want for you today is show Ravel-san around as you planned to do. The situation with Hyoudou-san has been resolved, as messy as it was, so the immediate need to watch the Fallen Angels isn't as necessary."

"So…no Fallen Angel stalking?"

"No."

I nodded at that, unable to hide my disappointment. I was looking forward to causing a little Hell for them. "Okay."

Sona sighed and looked to Akeno. "Rias told me to tell you that she needs you."

Akeno gave her a single nod. "Okay, I'll get to her immediately." Instantly, she turned towards me and gave me a steady glare. "Take of yourself, Kazusa-kun. It won't do to have my 'rumored boyfriend' fall over from exhaustion."

I sighed and placed a hand on my chest as if struck. "Only rumored? Oh, be still my beating heart." I grinned playfully, "I'll try, don't worry."

She frowned lightly, "I can't help it." Akeno turned her gaze towards Ravel. "Look after Kazusa-kun. He's proven to be quite unreliable as of late." All three of them ignored my insulted scoff.

Ravel nodded resolutely, "No need to worry, Himejima-san. Leviathan-sama already made me Kazusa-sama's assistant." For paperwork and your very tasty pastries…and being unfairly adorable…dammit, I just can't win!

With that, Akeno nodded and gave me one last stare before walking off.

I turned towards Ravel and Sona, "Well, I suppose it's time for some grocery shopping. My condo isn't exactly prepared for multiple people."

Sona said, "I have work I need to do. I'll leave the two of you to your duties." Then she left, leaving only Ravel and me.

"Well…let's go shopping…for food. Just…food."

* * *

A few hours later, I plopped down on the couch, feeling inordinately tired. Ravel and I had bought enough food to feed a small army. Why? Because, apparently, Ravel thinks my 'illness' is correlated with a lack of proper vitamins and nutrients. Ugh, I couldn't exactly tell her the full truth about it yet. Oh, well, while she's preparing dinner I can send Makoto information on the Fallen Angel's base.

Sending him a detailed report of the area surrounding the abandoned church, without my usual snark, considering he's put up with enough crap today. Plus, I'd rather not worry the idiot over something I've dealt with for a decade.

Putting my phone to the side, I got up and walked over to the kitchen to peek inside. "Need any help? I feel find of useless over here."

Ravel gave me a surprised look, as if I had snuck up on her. Then she began to push me out of the kitchen. "Kazusa-sama! Get out! You can't be in here! You need to rest."

"Well, aren't we pushy right now?" I said to her playfully as we came to a stop in the living room. She pointed to the couch and gave me an imperious stare. "As you command, Milady. This lowly one shall do as you ask." I followed her commands with a smile on my face, getting her to flush even more.

"Stay in here, Kazusa-sama. Let me make something healthy while you rest." With that, Ravel turned and walked back into the kitchen.

I let out a tired breath and leaned back into the cushion of the couch. However, before I could say anything else, I jumped when I felt a presence at the back of my mind.

_Kazusa, a Fallen Angel has been sighted._ My Familiar spoke to me through the mental connection we shared.

_Kagu? I thought you were out searching for your other parts._

_I decided to put the search on hold at the moment when I felt a powerful energy enter Kuoh several weeks back. I arrived earlier today and decided to watch over the Fallen ones in the area._

_And you happened upon the only newly reincarnated Devil in the area?_

_…Yes._

I sighed and pushed myself to my feet. _I see. Thanks. Where is he?_

_At the park. The one with the fountain._

_Ah, I know that one. I'll be there in no time. Stop by the condo and cover for me. There's someone you need to meet._

_…This isn't one of your pranks is it? Last time you dropped chee-_

_No. It's not a prank! Just get to the damn condo!_ With that, Kagu broke the connection with a vague sense of exasperation. I chuckled faintly as I looked around the corner leading into the kitchen. Good, Ravel was distracted.

Stepping into the teleportation, I pushed power into it and visualized the park. Within moments, the dim light began to grow until it completely engulfed my body. Instead of the controlled temperature of the condo, I was now experience the slightly windy breeze of the outside.

"The hell?!" A familiar voice called out as I made my appearance.

_Oh you have no idea kid…_ Acting on instinct alone, I lifted my hand and smacked aside a Light Spear that was sailing towards me. Turning my head, I saw the Fallen Angel known as Dohnaseek, an older looking man dressed in a trench coat and a fedora. "Huh. Look at the mess I dropped in…"

"Youko-senpai!? What are you doing here? What was that light?! Why is that bastard trying to kill me?!" Hyoudou called out, shock present on his face as words tumbled uncontrollably out of his mouth.

I gave him a deadpan look. "First off, kid, control yourself." Lifting a hand, I conjured a wall of flame as tall as myself as I destroyed a second Light Spear. "Secondly, take notes."

Dohnaseek narrowed his eyes towards me. "What are you doing here? I thought you Devils would like it if I killed one of your Strays."

I snorted, giving him a dark grin. "He's no Stray. If he was, he'd be on my list." Then, using the speed trait of my [Queen] Piece, I appeared directly in front of Dohnaseek, causing him to stumble back in surprise. "Also, you made a mistake showing yourself in front of me. I've been looking for some catharsis." My hand shot out and viciously backhanded him, sending him bouncing to the side and crashing into the fountain.

Another Light Spear was sent flying towards me, but it simply flew right through open air. I kicked him in the stomach, sending him into the air with a pained cough. Dohnaseek slammed into the ground with a resounding thud, cratering the ground beneath him. He tried to get to his feet, but I was right next to him in an instant, my foot slamming on his chest to keep him down. Smoke rose from the sole of my foot as Dohnaseek let out a pained gasp.

The grin on my face widened as I took in my pained expression. "Yeah. I have a bad habit of burning my enemies to a crisp. Did Raynare-chan tell you about me? Oh, I hope she did. It wouldn't have been polite to keep her newest bestie secret."

Dohnaseek's eyes widened in fear. "Y-You?! You're Leviathan's Queen?!"

"The one and only." I leaned down, while putting my pressure on his chest, getting him to grimace even more. "Did she tell you what I do to wayward crows, who step where they shouldn't?" He shook his head frantically, eyes wide with fear. "I charbroil them." Without wasting a second, I engulf the man in a sudden burst of flame.

A pained, horrified scream ripped its way out of Dohnaseek as he thrashed and cried out in agony. I watched without showing any emotion, save for the docile, empty smile I kept on my face. Then I grimaced, a sudden pain striking deep within my chest. Not helping in the least.

Tamamo-no-Mae wanted more… More… _More…_

I lifted my foot and stepped away from him, listening to his ragged breaths with a contemplative frown on my face. Releasing a breath, I fought back against the muted roar that occurred in the back of my mind, demanding that I lengthen his suffering. Solidifying my resolve, I looked back to the twitching, pained, but still alive, Fallen Angel with an impassive, empty gaze.

"Go back to your comrades and tell them this. They've been abandoned. No one will come to help you if you continue to stay in this town. Whatever you've planning, stop. Else…" I let out a faint chuckle, clearly menacing to him, but empty and hollow to myself. "I'll finish the job." Dohnaseek grimaced as he tried to get up, the pain from the burns holding him back. "GO!" I snarled at him, flaring out my nine tails and conjuring a ball of flames in my hand to egg him on to move faster.

It worked. Dohnaseek scrambled to his feet without a whimper of pain, flared his wings and took off into the night air

I watched him go with an empty gaze, allowing my power to die down…

_"I know they've went against my orders and killed an innocent. I know you have the right to retaliate in any way you wish because I can't help them now, but please, do this one thing for me: do not kill them." Azazel said softly as he leaned back in his seat, slowly sloshing his drink in his cup. "You can scare them, injure them and even get even in some way, I won't dispute that you and yours deserve something like that. But…they're still my fellow Fallen Angels, lost without their Father to guide them. So…try not to kill them."_

_I regarded him with a measuring look, then turned back to my drink, taking a small drink and placing it back on the table. "I won't promise anything. I can't. But I'll try. That's all I can give you… I'm sorry."_

_Azazel smiled lightly, taking a slow drink. After a few moments, he placed his own empty glass on the table. "No need to apologize. We all deal with hatred, some more literal than others." I couldn't hide the surprised look that I threw at him. How did he know?! "But as long as you try, that's what I can accept. That's all anyone accept."_

For such a normally flippant fellow, that Azazel can be rather philosophical…

I turned my head to look towards Hyoudou, who was still sitting on the ground, but with a look of absolute terror on his face. "You're afraid?" I rhetorically asked him. When he didn't respond, I simply let out a sigh. "Good. A little fear is what everyone needs. Keeps us line, and our heads out of our asses. Remember that feeling, Issei Hyoudou, that feeling of crippling fear, and resolve to never let it control you again. Keep moving forward and, maybe, just maybe, you can conquer it."

I turned away from him as I began to walk away, grabbing the Stone with a severe frown. "Maybe, you'll beat yours before I beat mine…" I said under my breath.

With that, I teleported away. Gremory can deal with her new Servant on her own. I've got both a dinner and a scolding waiting on me…


	3. Life 2

**And we've finally reached our third chapter.**

**-CrimsonBlade11: Huh. Apparently I need to write a little faster to keep up with these updates… Oh, well. Hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: Neither bamafelix or CrimsonBlade11 own anything involving DxD.**

**On with the story~**

**Life 2: I Hate Stalkers**

**Makoto's POV...**

**[Earlier...]**

As I made my way down the stairs that led to the rooftop upon which I had a rather..."enlightening" conversation with Kazusa. Really though. That guy is the PRINCE of assholes (the rank of "King of Assholes", of course, being reserved for a certain, obnoxious yakitori). Show that guy some concern and he'll show you the venom of his fangs.

That annoying fox bastard. He wants to handle that shit on his own, then be my guest.

In spite of my thoughts, I still felt troubled. I knew about that damned Stone.

I admit I had a rough childhood of my own, but to constantly be at war with yourself, having to suppress something so terrifying within yourself, I couldn't even begin to imagine what it's like. Such a fate was forced upon the unwilling Kazusa when he was so young. He's an ass, but you couldn't help but pity the guy. Then I thought better of it. If Kazusa wanted to be pitied, he'd damn well let me or just about anybody else know. So, for now, I could only watch as he constantly fought those dark thoughts of his.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I care about him or anything, but it's more like I owe him a sense of gratitude.

He gave me a name. One I could call my own. He gave me one when no one else would. He acts like dick, but deep down, no matter how much of an intolerable asshole he is, he's a...

I choked at the thought.

...a good guy...

I got unpleasant chills at the thought of complimenting that guy. I also felt vaguely nauseas.

It was unnatural! It felt like it went against the order of the universe or something!

Besides, he's not THAT good of a guy. I still felt irritated and humiliated at the thought of how easily he kicked my ass when we first met.

That does not count as a victory for him! I hadn't eaten in five days and I was running on fumes! I don't give a damn what he says!

I clenched my fists. "That damned fox..."

Immediately after he gave me my name, he called me a stupid idiot and we ended up fighting again! Of course I lost since I was still malnourished! And THEN that arrogant prick went ahead and threw some scraps from his last meal on the ground in front of me, making me eat like some sort of...well, dog.

I think I felt more humiliated at the thought that I actually went through with it.

At the time, I didn't care because I was so starving, but that bastard never let me forget it...

"Dammit, Kazusaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Trying to vent my anger, I slammed my fist into the wall, creating a small crater. I would've completely broken it down if I had been serious, but that crater was still painfully noticeable. I mean...wow. After inhaling deep breaths and exhaling several times, I finally calmed down from my KIR (Kazusa-Induced Rage).

And that was when I finally realized what I did. The color drained out of my face.

I circled a certain distance around the crater I created in the wall, my hands on my head as I panicked.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" Sona-senpai was gonna kill me! There was one major rule that she instilled in me when Kazusa and I first started at Kuoh: Do NOT fuck with her school. And I just created a FREAKING CRATER! I swallowed. "M-Maybe she won't notice it." It was a shallow hope. Deep down, I knew I would be busted and then she'd bring out..."the whistle". The fear of that whistle was enough to make me want to roll up in a ball, rocking back and forth like a baby. That damned whistle that Serafall-sama gave her...It was worse than any punishment that Hell could inflict upon the damned (and surprisingly not the worst one I've ever encountered). It felt like the insides of my head were being twisted inside-out while someone scratched on a chalkboard right next to my ear. "Oh dear Maou-samas, pleeeeeeaaaase don't let Senpai find out about this."

"Who are you talking about, Makoto-kun?"

I almost jumped out of my skin at the sudden voice.

I turned on my heels, somewhat prepared to face the person I initially believed to be Sona-senpai. My heart stopped until I realized that the girl I was looking at had hair far too long and a bust far too big to be anything like Sona-senpai.

I heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Oh...it's just you, Tsubaki-chan."

"Yes," Tsubaki-chan agreed, sounding slightly miffed. "'Just me'." In response, I gave Tsubaki an apologetic look.

"S-Sorry. That came out wrong." I smiled awkwardly. "I was just a little deep in thought and didn't really think much."

"I would assume that you were deep in thought about that crater in the wall you just created."

I panicked. "U-Uh-I-it-"

There was a long pause between us. I remained perfectly silent for several minutes, trying to think up the perfect explanation for the crater in the wall. I thought and thought for several minutes, trying to think up a full-proof lie that wouldn't result in Sona-senpai using that damnedable whistle of hers to punish me. Then I got it!

"...It was like this when I got here."

Perfect! She'll never suspect!

"Really?" Tsubaki-chan asked with her arms crossed.

Sweat began rolling down the sides of my face. "...Yes."

"Then I DIDN'T just see you punch that crater into the wall a few moments ago?" Tsubaki-chan asked rhetorically.

I stared silently. "How long were you watching?"

"Since you first started walking down the stairs, put on a series of troubled expressions, and then punched the wall next to you out of apparent frustration towards Youko-san." Tsubaki-chan answered.

"Oh..." Now I was just embarrassed. I felt myself blushing from the fact I not only lacked the observation skills to have noticed Tsubaki-chan earlier, but also because Tsubaki-chan watched me go through all of the movements and facial expressions that were associated with my previous thoughts. Then I remembered why I was trying to lie in the first place and started panicking again. "Please don't tell Sona!" I got down on the ground, prostrating myself before Tsubaki. "Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase don't tell Sona!"

I didn't care if I had to beg! I would swallow every last bit of my pride if it meant preventing Sona-senpai from using that whistle on me!

"M-Makoto-kun-!"

"I'll do anything! Just don't make me face the whistle! I hate that whistle even more than I hate thunderstorms and I REALLY hate thunderstorms! I'm begging you! Please don't tell!" Not only would Sona use the whistle, but she'd probably end up telling on me to Serafall-sama! Serafall-sama is a really sweet and forgiving master, but she has her own way of punishing her servants. The thought of her punishments made me quiver even further in fear.

Noooooo! I don't wanna dress as "Magical Mako" again!

The last time I was "punished" by Serafall-sama, she went out of her way to create a "special 1-hour episode" of Miracle Levia-tan where I ended up temporarily absorbing her powers and becoming a magical girl myself...

The shame and humiliation I felt that day was on a level only Kazusa could cause to a single person (and I was fairly certain he had a hand in that incident). The worst part was that I actually GAINED more fans...male fans. Apparently cross-dressing as a girl has given off the wrong impression towards viewers. On the bright side, I still gained a fair number of fans amongst the female enjoyers of bishounen, cross-dressing boys, and yaoi...The bright side didn't make me feel any better.

And Sona was rather forgiving and never really goes that far, but if she found out I damaged the school, she would certainly convince Serafall-sama to punish me! I think I'd rather take the whistle! I prefer physical pain over mental scarring. The pain eventually goes away but the mental scars last forever.

"I won't tell."

Eh?

The sudden response from Tsubaki-chan had caught me off-guard. "What?"

Tsubaki-chan seemed uneasy, but she nodded. "Yes. I will keep this a secret from Kaichou."

My eyes widened to the size of plates. I hadn't expected Tsubaki to so easily agree. I expected that convincing her would require me to do a variety of embarrassing things. Maybe become her manservant and wait on her hand and foot.

"You're serious?" I asked again.

My beautiful senpai nodded, smiling softly. "Yes. I swear not to tell Kaichou about this. Just be sure to remain a fair distance from this sight until I can get the crater repaired using my magic."

"..." Yet another pause ensued. Then I got on my knees, grasping Tsubaki's hands in my own. "I love you so much right now, Tsubaki."

"Eh?" Tsubaki seemed taken aback by my comment. Then her face flushed a deep shade of red. "E-Eh!? M-Makoto-kun! Th-That is-!"

"...Who do you love, Makoto?"

I let out a pathetic squeak out of fear of the sudden killing intent I felt behind me.

I turned my head slowly to face my girlfriend who was currently stone-faced and radiating the powerful killing intent that I was currently fearing.

Trying to keep from squealing like a little girl, I gave a weak smile. "Heeeeeeey, Koneko..."

"...What's this about you loving Tsubaki-senpai?" She asked with a chilling voice that almost made me wet myself.

"Uh-Well-I-Um-Er-I-About that...Hahaha..." I coughed into my fist, trying to rid myself of my nervousness. "So...what are you doing here, Koneko...?"

Koneko's eyes narrowed. "...I came to cash in on our raincheck. Remember yesterday?"

Oh yeah...I kinda did ask for a raincheck because I got saddled with recon.

Shit! I finally remembered what I was doing!

I quickly jumped back onto my feet. "Koneko, I swear that was exactly what I was coming to see you about! But then there was this thing and I punched the wall and there was Tsubaki and I didn't just shut up and...I love you so much!" I spread my arms open wide, trying to envelope Koneko with a hug full enough with my love that she completely forgot everything I just said to Tsubaki.

I was halted when Koneko held out her hand in front of me as if to say "halt". Then she turned to Tsubaki who seemed to flinch at the harshness in Koneko's gaze. Even I was unsettled. For at least ten minutes, Koneko kept her gaze planted firmly on Tsubaki. I thought she was mad or something, but instead Koneko spoke with a calm and collected tone.

"...My Makoto." Those two words held a surprising amount of force in them, as if I somehow belonged to her. Koneko shot me a sharp look as if to say "You DO belong to me" (Dear Maou! She can read my thoughts!). Koneko turned back to Tsubaki, continuing where she left off. "...Keep that in mind. You understand me?"

Tsubaki nodded her head so fast that I thought her head would pop clean off her shoulders.

I stand corrected. I don't think the thing I fear most is thunderstorms, whistles, or being forced to cross-dress. No. My worst fear is, of course, the great and terrible, jealous wrath of my adorable Koneko. And I'm not the only one who fears such a thing if Tsubaki-chan's pale face was anything to go by.

Koneko then grasped onto my sleeve, shooting one final sharp look at Tsubaki-chan before turning back to me. "...Let's go."

"Y-Yes, ma'am." I agreed submissively. Koneko then tugged on my sleeve, urging me onward. I waved goodbye to Tsubaki as we left. "Sorry, Tsubaki. I-I guess I'll see you later. Thanks again for everything."

Tsubaki waved halfheartedly, hanging her head as she seemed to believe I had turned away. She seemed depressed about something. First she was curling up into a ball. Then she started hitting her head against the wall. Then she seemed like she was crying about something.

After that, she seemed to realize that I was still watching because her face lit up red like the lights on a Christmas tree. She hesitated, then she ran away at breakneck speed.

"That was weird." I said to myself, following Koneko who was tugging me along by my sleeve.

"...What was?"

I shrugged. "I dunno really." I would have to ask Tsubaki-chan later on what was wrong. It was the least I could do to repay her. Then I remembered what Koneko was just upset about. "K-Koneko, you know that was all a misunderstanding right?"

Koneko nodded. "...Yes."

I frowned. "Then why did you get so mad at me and Tsubaki?"

Koneko hugged my arms tightly, leaning her head on my shoulder. "...Wasn't mad...Just showing her who's boss so to speak." She looked up at me. "...You're mine."

Sweating nervously, I let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I kind of gathered that. I know better than to try to pull over anything on you, Koneko. No matter what, you're always my best girl." I may have been mistaken (but I probably wasn't), but I could've sworn I saw the smallest smile form on Koneko's face at this.

Awww~! Koneko-chan's so cute when she smiles like that~!

I really did care about her though. She's my adorable Koneko-chan~! Her and Tsubaki were pretty much the only two normal people (relatively speaking) I knew.

"...Faster." I was jolted out of my thoughts when Koneko suddenly spoke, quickening her walking speed and moving faster than I, dragging me along with her.

I gave Koneko a confused look. "Are you okay, Koneko?"

She shot me a quick look. "We're being watched."

I felt a chill go down my spine. I had a pretty good feeling I knew who it was.

Sweating waterfalls, I slowly turned my head around, scanning the area behind me. That's when I saw her. A young girl, a student at our school judging by her uniform, probably a second-year. She had long, white hair and blue-green eyes, admittedly well-toned legs, and a rather impressive bust. She was peeking from behind a nearby corner, shooting me a weird look that made me want to run for safety.

I felt my heart almost beat out of my chest when she realized I was looking at her, stepping out from behind the protection of her corner, fully entering my sight.

Then she started running towards me.

"Aaaaah! Koneko, ruuuun!" I easily picked up my girlfriend under one arm and then burst out running.

But no matter how fast I ran with my enhanced Devil speed, my pursuer matched my speed. She was determined. Even though I received no boost from being a [Pawn], I was still in peak physical condition and still possessed the general bodily enhancements provided by becoming a Devil. For this girl to be able to keep up with me, she must have been a Devil as well. I think I vaguely remembered seeing her with the Student Council every now and again, but the main reason I knew her was because-

"...Why are you running from Hanakai-senpai?" Koneko asked casually as if she weren't hanging under my arm like a suitcase or perhaps a pile of books.

"I don't know anyone by that name, but she's a yandere stalker! She's always following me around from the shadows!" I looked behind me again, eyes widening to the size of plates as my stalker seemed to be slowly catching up with me. Seriously! Who spiked HER energy drink today! "Waaaaah! Go awaaaaaaaay!"

"Ma-chaaaaan! Come back! I love yoooooou!"

"No way in Hell!" I had been afraid of this girl ever since Kazusa first pointed out this crazy stalker to me, I haven't stopped noticing her around me almost everywhere I go. Sometimes I even got the feeling she was watching me from the bathroom window. Not to mention she's a yandere. One day she just came after me with scissors, asking me to cut my hair as some sort of cute gesture. She seemed innocent in intent, but all yanderes usually do. Just ask Yuno Gasai. I would say that Kazusa had a hand in this, but even he would not arrange for me to have a yandere stalker...or would he...? Hmm.

"Let Momo-chan love you, Ma-chaaaan!" My stalker made a kissy face, her arms outstretched as if to embrace me, causing me to leap out of my skin.

"Run away, Koneko!" I screamed, panicked.

Koneko leaned her head on her arm, looking up at me as if to say "...That's kind of impossible right now."

Right. Back to running then!

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

* * *

That chase lasted another ten to twenty minutes before I finally lost that stalker of mine.

Panting and exhausted, I finally managed to leave the school with Koneko to finally go out on our date. We just walked through town, Koneko hugging my side like a normal girlfriend. Today we were just a normal couple. No Devil-related assignments. No Kazusa to ruin my mood. Just me and the girl I love.

So why did I still feel uneasy?

It wasn't worry over Kazusa's condition anymore. It wasn't worry over that crater I created. It was like I was worried without even being sure why I was worried. It was this persistent feeling in my guy that told me something was wrong. Part of me wanted to chalk it up to paranoia, but in the world of the supernatural, NOTHING could truly be considered too paranoid by this point. Besides, considering I have a yandere stalker, this "Hanakai girl" as Koneko called her, I think being moderately uneasy was fair...

"...Are you alright, Makoto?" I realized I had been monologuing in my mind until Koneko snapped me out of it, looking up at me with concerned eyes. "...Your face is weirder than normal." From the cute smile on her face, I could tell that Koneko was teasing me playfully.

"How rude." I stuck out my tongue at her despite how hypocritical it was. I let out a small laugh at that. That was when I realized that with everything that's been going on today, I never really had a good laugh or smile. I was either stressed because of my guilt regarding Hyoudou or because of the bullshit emotions Kazusa had stirred up inside of me. I sighed. "I dunno...I think it might be this remaining guilt I have."

"...Because of Hyoudou-senpai's death?" Koneko asked. "Didn't you already apologize?

I shook my head, an irritated expression appearing on my face. "No. That fox bastard had Sona send me to the roof to talk to him before I could actually go through with it."

Koneko cocked her head sideways inquisitively. "...What did he need to talk to you about?"

I opened my mouth to answer but paused, not only because I didn't want to reveal anything about Kazusa's condition but also because I remembered the mission-sensitive information Kazusa had given me.

I couldn't tell Koneko about the information I got, because then, despite having the best intentions, she might pass the information on to her [King], Rias. And that foolish girl had far too much pride to simply sit back and do nothing while "rogue" Fallen Angels rested in Gremory territory, hunting Sacred Gear-users. Most likely she would gather her servants, come up with some pretty much half-assed plan that revolved more around brute strength than strategy, and then go marching in on the Fallen Angels' base guns ablaze.

While an appealing idea that Kazusa and I could easily pull off on our own with even just one of us, for someone with as relatively little experience as Rias, it would be a reckless and very stupid thing to do, especially considering we do not know the entirety of their numbers nor the weapons they possess. If they simply planned on killing Hyoudou, they simply would've done the deed and then hit the road since by now they've realized they stood no chance against either Kazusa or I...No. Now that I think about it, they must have some other objective here. Or maybe some kind of weapon that allowed them to maintain some kind of confidence, but-

"Makoto." I blushed out of embarrassment when I realized I had failed to answer Koneko, instead slipping into another mental monologue.

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Sorry. It's...erm...kinda classified. Mission-related stuff."

Koneko examined my expression for some sign of deception. Upon finding none, she nodded.

"...So your conscience is still killing you about Hyoudou-senpai?"

She hit the nail right on the head, I believe. "Yeah. I never really got a second chance to talk to Hyoudou because of everything going on lately." I was really going to have to put forth more effort in finding a good time to give Hyoudou a proper apology for er...kinda being responsible for his death.

"...You'll get it done." Koneko said, apparently trying to cheer me up. "I have faith in you."

I felt a blissful feeling fill my heart.

Koneko really knew how to cheer me up~!

"So where do you wanna go, Koneko?" I asked, trying to get us back to the reason why we were out here. I kind of made our date kind of depressing and somewhat angsty by bringing in my worries and my mission into this, but Koneko didn't seem to mind. Now that I was feeling a little better, the atmosphere around us seemed to lighten.

Koneko was about to answer when something caught her gaze. I followed her gaze and found myself looking at an odd window display, there were plastic mannequins standing next to or holding the leashes of animal mannequins who were also made of plastic. Confused, I read the neat design that was on the window, the words being written revealing this as a pet store...but why did Koneko wanna come in here?

"...Be right back." Koneko said before separating from and walking over to the door. I was about to follow her when she shot me a sharp look. "Sit, boy."

I immediately obeyed (partially out of fear), bending my legs and sitting on my hind quarters in a way reminiscent of a dog, following the humiliating instinct that tends to take control of tamed animals like me. I looked up at Koneko expectantly.

She smiled, satisfied. "...Now stay."

I tried getting up for a second. "But-"

"Stay." Koneko ordered once again with finality. I sat back down, sitting attentively as ordered. I couldn't help but notice (and feel troubled by) how Koneko's satisfied smile became more aligned to that of a mischievous smirk. In some ways, Koneko was far superior to Kazusa in messing with and embarrassing me. But the reason she does it is to secure dominance in our relationship so I let it slide (and because she's too cute~). Kazusa just does it to be a dick. "...Good boy."

To emphasize her ability to take advantage of my loyal, dog-like instincts, Koneko pet me on the head affectionately.

WAN-WAN!

I immediately covered my mouth after that embarrassing noise came out of it. I hung my head, my face flushed red.

With that, Koneko headed inside the pet shop, leaving me all by my lonesome.

I sighed. Koneko still really knew how to push my buttons. I guess it was kind of leftover since that time when we first met. It was when Kazusa and I were stationed in Kuoh. Before Koneko and I even said a single word to each other, I ended up barking at her and she ended up scratching at my face, giving into our most basic instincts in response to each other's presence. We almost went at one another like cats and dogs. We would have if Kazusa and Rias hadn't held us back and snapped us back to our senses. After that, we apologized to each other, but a hostile tension remained.

Despite how we acted now as a loving couple, we were just ridiculous back then. We always tried to avoid one another, but during the few times we bumped into one another, we literally tried to kill each other because Koneko always knew had to push my buttons and irritate me. During certain meetings or activities in which we had no choice but to remain in the other's presence, we always spent a majority of the time shooting each other hostile looks. Because of all of the disruption and chaos we always caused when we were together, Rias and Sona decided to try and force us to get along by making us spend every minute together, wanting us to work past our issues. For a while, that didn't turn out well...Well, until we both got sent to take out a Low-Class Stray Devil together.

That day...everything changed. I saw Koneko in her most vulnerable state because I had frightened her, forced her to relive something that scared her senseless. My guilt turned into a promise between us. And that promise between us gradually became love. We just started getting along better since that day, much to Sona and Rias's satisfaction. We got closer and closer to each other and we both decided "What the heck!" And started going out.

Koneko still knew how to push my buttons and still does it just to mess with me. The difference between now and back then is that Koneko was more playful when it came to her button-pushing and used this knowledge more to maintain dominance in our relationship rather than to screw around with the me whom she disliked back then.

And thus I had no problem waiting outside while Koneko went inside the pet shop.

"...I wonder what she's getting." I wondered aloud after five minutes of silent waiting...I was bored. "I-What?!" A sudden tension filled my body. An on-edge feeling was instilled in me by some unknown presence.

I wasn't alone. Someone was watching me.

I immediately stood up from my spot, my guard being raised as I surveyed my surroundings. It was the middle of the busy day so it was somewhat difficult to discern those who possessed some connection to the supernatural and those who were normal humans. This presence I was feeling wasn't something I couldn't just let alone. It felt like it was hostile towards my very existence.

I closed my eyes, using my other more powerful Devil senses to get a better grasp on my surroundings...This feeling...If I'm right, then the source of this presence should be-!

"-Behind me?!" I turned on my heels, staring across the street for the source of this bad feeling I got.

My eyes immediately locked onto the potential source of the anomaly.

It was a girl. For a brief, foolish second, I thought it was Koneko somehow because there aren't too many girls around who possessed short, snow-white hair like this girl other than Koneko. But then I realized differently for two reasons: First, Koneko was in the store behind me. Second, this girl was different in several respects to her appearance. Her eyes were brown and she wore a white, dress shirt and black skirt with plain, brown sneakers. The thing that made her stand out most, perhaps, would be the ridiculous pair of brown, furry dog ears she wore on her head and the fluffy dog tail she wore on her back where her torso and waist met. I knew she wasn't a dog youkai because I would immediately be able to home in on something like that. I would've sensed her coming a mile away.

There was something long wrapped up in cloth tied to her back. That was the source of this bad feeling of mine. It was radiating a hostile presence towards me which I returned...This feeling felt oddly familiar.

Another major difference between this strange girl and Koneko...

I tried desperately not to think it was because this girl's bust was fairly larger than Koneko's (not massive like Rias's or Akeno's, but at least average-sized). No. The real major difference between her and Koneko is that while Koneko's passive expression usually held some sort of hidden emotion or warmth. This girl's expression, on the other hand...it held nothing. No happiness, sadness, anger, love, annoyance, or any kind of emotion. It was disturbing actually.

She was staring right at me. I knew because our eyes met one another. I couldn't feel any kind of intention coming from this girl. That was the most chilling part. I couldn't tell if she was an ally or an enemy. She could have easily have wanted to shake my hand as she did want to slit my throat wide open.

Uneasy on what to do, I attempted to walk across the street when-

RING

I heard the sound of a bell ringing behind me. Turning around, I found myself face-to-face with a confused Koneko. She was holding some kind of collar in her hands. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there was a cute, little bell attached to it. I could only assume it was for Koneko's familiar, Shiro. However, I couldn't help but feel that it seemed a bit too large for that tiny kitten.

"...What were you looking at, Makoto?" Koneko asked in confusion.

"Er..." I turned back in the direction of that strange girl only to find her no longer there. She, along with that unpleasant presence, had completely vanished. "It...It's nothing. Not a thing." I know I didn't imagine it, so I became worried as to what happened to that girl and that presence. But since she wasn't here, there wasn't much I could do. There was no reason to spoil my time with Koneko by bringing up something that was just as likely to be nothing as it was to be troublesome.

Koneko didn't seem too convinced. She obviously realized that I was spooked by something, but she must've wanted to respect my feelings, so she didn't call me out on my lie. Instead, she held out the collar she had bought.

"...For you."

I blinked. "...what?"

Koneko shook the collar a little, causing the bell attached to make a little ringing noise. "...Put it on."

My eyes widened in shock. My face reddened in embarrassment. "What?! No way! I'm not putting on a collar!"

"...Try to think of it more as a choker."

"I don't care WHAT you call it! I'm not putting it on!"

"...Please?"

"No."

"...It will be cute."

"I don't care! Besides, I don't DO 'cute'!"

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"NO!"

"...Pretty please with a spicy dog bone on top?"

"I'm not a dog, dammit!" However, I won't lie that, on some level, the idea of a spicy dog bone sounded appealing. Damn my subconscious desires.

Koneko narrowed her eyes. "...Very well. You've left me no choice."

I swallowed. "No choice...but what?"

"...To bring out my secret weapon." I felt somewhat worried about what this "secret weapon" of hers was. I felt rather afraid when Koneko gripped my shirt with both of her hands. I started sweating when she brought her face up to look at me.

"W-What are you doing...?!"

That was when she hit me with her "secret weapon".

"Pretty please?" She asked this with the most ADORABLE expression on her face. Picture the most adorable thing you've ever seen. Multiply that by twenty million. You won't even come close to half as cute as Koneko's expression was. Its adorability was so great that blood started splurting from my nose.

I covered my bleeding nose, a shocked expression on my face. "What a truly fearsome weapon!"

Koneko wouldn't stop looking at me with those cute, adorable eyes of hers.

I felt my resolve weaken.

Then it weakened some more...

And then I broke. I fell to the ground on all-fours, defeated by the power of cuteness.

"Alright. You win. Just...no more cuteness." I begged.

Koneko put on a victorious smirk as she held out the collar to me. "...Here you go."

With shame in my heart and soul, I picked up the collar from her and bared my open neck, wrapping and clasping the collar together around my neck. The bell made a small jingle sound after I gave it a slight tap with my finger.

"I hate this." I decided. This was thoroughly humiliating. How was I supposed to maintain my freedom and sneak about if people could hear this annoying bell of mine?! Not to mention I'm pretty sure this collar is either for cats or very small dogs!

"...Too bad." Koneko replied harshly. "...Now I'll know where you are at all times."

Yes. By this point, I am sure of two things: I am absolutely whipped and that this is definitely a collar for a cat.

I sighed. "There, I put it on. Can I take it off now?" I couldn't really hide the annoyance in my voice.

"...No. A few more seconds." Koneko commanded. She was clearly amused. "You really look cute, Makoto. Cuter than normal."

I started blushing again. "W-What?! H-How am I cute?! I ain't cute!" To emphasize this, I tried tearing the collar from my neck, but found something odd.

It was stuck. The collar was stuck on my neck.

I tried tucking on it even harder, doing my damned well best to try and tear apart this piece of leather and rubber (or whatever it is that collars are made of). But no matter how much I tried, the collar wouldn't come off!

I turned towards my girlfriend, shocked. "What's up with this collar!?" Koneko's expression didn't change, but I noticed the slightest hint of guilt enter her eyes. "Koneko, what did you do?"

She played with her hands for a few moments before reaching into her back pocket, pulling something out. It was a small jar of what appeared to be glue. Not just any glue. I recognized it as a brand of glue sold only in the Underworld. That stuff...it was impossible to wash away! It was ten times stronger than even that of the humans' "super glue"! I was stuck with this collar glued to my neck forever!

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" I couldn't help but shout. I was half-pissed/half-horrified and entirely surprised. "You put THIS glue on the collar?!"

Koneko nodded, mildly ashamed for what she had done. "I...I wanted to make sure you weren't do something bad like..."

I realized what she had planned to say before she said it: _"like earlier today"!_

She...She was talking about the incident in which I had made myself look like a total idiot in front of Tsubaki-chan earlier.

"Koneko...were you actually...jealous?!" It sounded so ridiculous though! Koneko was usually smarter than that! Koneko got jealous and hit me when I was ogling girls, but to go so far as to mark me with a collar...

My girlfriend hung her head. "...It just...even though I understood...I just started to hurt when you told Shinra-senpai that you loved her..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that really what this is about?" Koneko nodded. She looked so sad that I just couldn't keep my annoyance directed towards her. Unable to make myself do anything else, I wrapped my arms around Koneko and pulled her into a tight hug. Then I nuzzled my face against hers. "You're a silly, silly, kitty, ya know that?" I raised Koneko's head upwards and planted a small kiss on her forehead. "You're my girl. My only girl. Just because I'm a male Devil, it doesn't mean I'll be building a harem or something."

"...Doubtful."

I jerked back as if struck. "Ouch. That wounds me on so many levels. I can't believe you have so little faith in me."

Koneko clung to me endearingly. "...It's not you I don't trust, it's the other women. You're too much of an idiot to even recognize when a girl has fallen for you."

"Ouch. I think that stung me even worse than that first one." More-so because she was kind of right.

"...But," Koneko added, "that's also one of the things I love about you. You're as innocent as a child when it actually comes to _doing something_ concerning a woman's body."

I'd love to say that was true, buuuuut...it's not. Hey, I'm an idiot, but that doesn't mean I'm innocent when it comes to sexual relations. I've been "there", I've done "that".

Of course, I valued my nads, so getting them torn off by telling Koneko something along those lines was a no-no for me.

I pouted. "Hm. Maybe I don't wanna give a hug to my Koneko-chan who's being mean~" I teased.

"...Maybe I won't give a neglect Makoto-kun any more cute pics or any more 'sugar'." Koneko shot back without hesitating.

Damn, she's too good at this.

I tightened my hug around Koneko, holding her with passionately and lovingly. "I love you, Koneko. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Makoto."

And we just held one another. I wouldn't forget the promise I made to her. That promise also included me protecting her.

Protecting her from things like that weird girl from earlier. It was mostly a gut-feeling, but I was certain she was no ally of mine. If that girl got anywhere near Koneko and tried to do anything bad to her, I would stop her, even if it meant I had to use my fangs to rip her to shreds...

But really though: Who was she?

* * *

[One Week Later...]

Finally. Today was the day!

It had been a difficult time getting this together.

Today would be the day I finally gave my apology to Hyoudou. I'd been planning it for a long while. I couldn't just come out and blurt it in the middle of school. I had to explain everything and sincerely apologize so it wouldn't feel like one of those cheap "I'm sorry"'s that you'd give a guy after knocking over his coffee or something. That and it would feel kind of awkward doing it in front of all of the members of the ORC. And Hyoudou's been busy with his first duties as a Devil lately, so I never really got that second chance to talk to him alone.

Kazusa's been no help of course. He's been busy helping Ravel adjust to life in Kuoh, attending school...I won't lie. I found her annoying. She was fairly okay most of the time, but she always started acting so irritating when she was around Koneko. Suffice to say, my relationship with her mirrored my relationship with Kazusa albeit to a lesser degree. She was slightly more bearable. Speaking of Kazusa, he's been back to normal since that "incident" a week ago. His same ol' dickish self.

So yeah. Today would finally be the day I was gonna apologize.

Hyoudou was busy moping on the park bench. From what I heard from Rias, his first two jobs didn't exactly go according to plan. Not exactly a fail, but definitely not a success either. Hyoudou was "unique" suffice to say. Kazusa and I have never really failed in making a Contract. Not a single time in our time as Devils. Then again, we ARE something like prodigies in terms of power and experience. Hyoudou would have to train for at least a year or two straight before he could even consider possibly being on our level.

To be honest, I was here for TWO reasons. The first being my apology and the second being to keep an eye on him. The Fallen Angels have been silent ever since they first killed Hyoudou. Nobody has gone in nor out since then. While it has become a lower priority, we still gotta keep tabs on those guys. It felt like the calm before the storm really.

I breathed in, then out.

I was hiding in a bush nearby for the past forty-five minutes, trying to work up my nerve. I was still only half-certain how I was going to go about this.

"OK, Makoto. Just go and walk right up to him, ask to sit down, and then just let'er rip..." I took one more deep breath, finally stepping out from behind my cover. "OK, just walk right up to him and-"

"Hawaau!" I felt someone bump their foot against my own, effectively tripping and landing on the ground.

SHIT! COVER BLOWN! MISSION FAILED!

The attention drawn to me would definitely ruin my casual and "unintentional" approach. It had taken careful planning to do this. I had to get a rubber covering for that little...thing inside the bell on my collar...you know? That little metal thing that bangs around the inside of the bell to make that ringing sound? That. I had to get a rubber covering for that so Hyoudou wouldn't hear my approach.

I still hadn't figured out a way to get that collar removed. Koneko meant well, but she was too efficient when it came to things like this.

I turned to the girl on the ground, bowing in apology. "S-So sorry!" I crouched down and offered my hand to the girl, only just now getting a good look at her...

She was a Sister. A nun.

She had spread her arms wide open and had her face on the ground.

Shit! How badly did I trip her?!

Hyoudou quickly acknowledged the sound of the Sister falling because he turned right around, getting up from his seat and approaching us. "A-Are you okay?"

I bowed my head to the sister, still holding out my hand to her. "I am very, very, very sorry about this."

Hyoudou's eyes widened as he turned his head in my direction, surprised by my presence. "Saeki!?"

But I ignored him and instead focused my attention on the Sister. "Are you okay? I'm sorry. It is my fault for not paying attention."

The Sister looked like she was was trying to regain her bearings as she sat up. She smiled apologetically, shaking her head.

"Oh no, it's my fault! I tend to be horribly clumsy sometimes! Thank you very much though~ Both of you!"

That was when the wind started to pick up, a sharp gust swooping down and blowing away the veil on the Sister's head. Her blonde hair, which was hidden underneath, fell down onto her shoulders. It must've been an illusion created by the sunlight or something because I could swear that she was sparkling. I kid you not. She was SPARKLING.

She was also kind of cute...really cute.

I shook my head, snapping myself out of such thoughts. How Koneko would react if she caught me like that...

The thought of the punishment I would receive sent unpleasant shivers down my spine.

I left Hyoudou with the Sister for a second while I went to retrieve her veil. It was a nice thing, well-made. Soft to the touch. It had such fine material.

I walked back to the Sister and Hyoudou, who was still staring at the Sister with a perverted expression on his face...

And that is how I know I'm superior to him. I can keep my perversions under control and well-hidden. This idiot wore his emotions on his sleeves.

Suddenly, apologizing to him felt like it was going to be much more difficult to do.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat, trying to snap Hyoudou out of his current state. I turned back to the Sister. "So what is a nun like yourself doing here? It's not often we get someone like you around here. Are you on some kind of pilgrimage?" Technically speaking, that was a fib. There's a whole Church on the outskirts of town that's filled with people like her even though they are technically Strays.

"No, that's not it. I was appointed to the Church in this town…"

...Shit.

"You both must be residents of this town. It's a pleasure to meet you." She bowed her head to both Hyoudou and I.

"I have been in trouble since I got here. Ummm…I can't speak Japanese that well…I was lost and other people couldn't understand what I was saying…" She held her hands together in front of her chest, looking rather sad.

I was stuck at a crossroad. I could either A) Grab Hyoudou and walk away before he gets killed (again) by someone related to the Fallen Angels, leaving this nun to wander around lost all on her own or B) Do the obvious thing my conscience is telling me to do and help the nun anyway.

I sighed. There really was no fighting it.

"I can take you to the Church if you want." I offered. "I don't have anything else to do at the moment."

"Y-Yeah!" Hyoudou agreed, still eyeing me nervously. Apparently he hadn't forgotten the ominous tone our conversation had been interrupted on. We hadn't really spoken at all since then. "I can also take you there!"

I placed a hand on the guy's shoulder. "Actually, Hyoudou, shouldn't you report back to Rias for club activities or something? If you leave stuff like that not taken care of and have it on your mind, it might be _dangerous_. It could be reeeeaaaallly dangerous for you to be at the Church." Come ooooon, Hyoudou! Take the hint! Realize that I'm telling you how dangerous it would be for you to enter the Church!

I walked back to the Sister and Hyoudou, who was still staring at the Sister with a perverted expression on his face...

And that is how I know I'm superior to him. I can keep my perversions under control and well-hidden. This idiot wore his emotions on his sleeves.

Suddenly, apologizing to him felt like it was going to be much more difficult to do.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat, trying to snap Hyoudou out of his current state. I turned back to the Sister. "So what is a nun like yourself doing here? It's not often we get someone like you around here. Are you on some kind of pilgrimage?" Technically speaking, that was a fib. There's a whole Church on the outskirts of town that's filled with people like her even though they are technically Strays.

"No, that's not it. I was appointed to the Church in this town…"

...Shit.

"You both must be residents of this town. It's a pleasure to meet you." She bowed her head to both Hyoudou and I.

"I have been in trouble since I got here. Ummm…I can't speak Japanese that well…I was lost and other people couldn't understand what I was saying…" She held her hands together in front of her chest, looking rather sad.

I was stuck at a crossroad. I could either A) Grab Hyoudou and walk away before he gets killed (again) by someone related to the Fallen Angels, leaving this nun to wander around lost all on her own or B) Do the obvious thing my conscience is telling me to do and help the nun anyway.

I sighed. There really was no fighting it.

"I can take you to the Church if you want." I offered. "I don't have anything else to do at the moment."

"Y-Yeah!" Hyoudou agreed, still eyeing me nervously. Apparently he hadn't forgotten the ominous tone our conversation had been interrupted on. We hadn't really spoken at all since then. "I can also take you there!"

I placed a hand on the guy's shoulder. "Actually, Hyoudou, shouldn't you report back to Rias for club activities or something? If you leave stuff like that not taken care of and have it on your mind, it might be _dangerous_. It could be reeeeaaaallly dangerous for you to be at the Church." Come ooooon, Hyoudou! Take the hint! Realize that I'm telling you how dangerous it would be for you to enter the Church!

Hyoudou raised an eyebrow. "Not really...I kind of got a break for a little while. It wouldn't be too much trouble for me to help bring the Sister to the Church!" He said this with such a kind smile that only belied his idiocy.

I sighed. Well, as long as I'm there, those Fallen Angels probably won't start shit. If Kazusa traumatized them as well as I hoped he did, then they would probably just hide in the basement until I left...Ha...Hahaha...It was kind of funny when I pictured it in my head. I admit it felt a little sadistic to enjoy the thought of those cowering crows (note: I have nothing against Fallen Angels. My insult of calling them "crows" is reserved for the specific Fallen Angels who piss me off), but I think it was a little warranted.

"Yeah, I guess we could both escort you." I offered.

The Sister's eyes started to sparkle. "Y-You will!? T-Thank you! The Lord is truly smiling down upon me!"

I felt an arrow pierce my heart.

T-Too cute! I-I can't believe that someone could easily make a face that could surpass Koneko's adorableness! Oh, Koneko, forgive me for thinking such heretical thoughts!

I felt the negative reaction from the Sister's rosario, but I shrugged it off. She didn't mean any harm. She probably had no clue we were Devils.

I stretched my arms upwards, letting out a slight yawn. "Well? Time's a wastin'! Follow us, Sister!"

"Oh thank you! Truly, thank you!"

Hyoudou and I blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed by the Sister's thanks. It was too late to back out now.

And so we ended up on our way to the church, the Sister following behind me. Due to my awkwardness, our trip passed in mutual silence.

"Uwaaaaaah!" The sound of a young boy crying shattered the silence like glass. I was about to shrug it off and continue walking when I realized that the Sister was not following me but rather walking towards the boy, crouching down in front of him with a kind expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" The Sister asked. "A boy shouldn't be crying over little things like this." She gently patted the boy on the head. He probably had NO IDEA what she was saying, but he could probably sense her good intentions by the her kind and trustworthy expression. The Sister placed her palm where the boy injured himself.

Hyoudou looked at me. "What do you think she's doing?"

"Shut up and I think we'll find out." I hissed at him. My curiosity had gotten the best of me as we observed the boy.

I was about to ask her what she was doing when a green light orb appeared from the Sister's palm and flashed onto the boy's knee.

My eyes widened in shock.

No way! That's-No. It wasn't any kind of demonic power. If she were a Devil, she wouldn't be able to even wear that cross around her neck...I tensed as my own power created a strange ache as if responding to the light, giving me the answer to the Sister's ability.

-Sacred Gear. A power that is bestowed upon certain people, me included amongst them. I've also come across many other Sacred Gear-users over my life and the journey Kazusa and I had together, some with mundane but still mildly useful powers, some with powers that could prove a threat to beings who belong to the supernatural side of the world, and others with powers that could slay even gods. Kazusa and I had personally encountered Sacred Gears of all three levels. My Sacred Gear, [Critical Shock Ignition], belonged to that second classification.

So the Sister is also a possessor of a Sacred Gear, but what-

Then I noticed the boy again. His injury was gone!

The Sister patted the boy on the head again. "Here. Your wounds are healed. The pain should be gone now."

I crossed my arms, a solemn expression on my face.

I've come across that power only once before. [Twilight Healing], a Sacred Gear with remarkable healing powers. Hmmm. Perhaps I should tell the others about this when I get back. If the Fallen Angels have this girl's power, it could prove troublesome to deal with them. Not hard or impossible, just troublesome, annoying even.

"Yoshi-kun, where did you go?!" A woman who was no doubt the boy's mother ran over to him. The boy happily ran over to his mother, pointing at the Sister and smiling as if he had never been injured.

"Ah, that Onee-chan over there! She healed my injury!"

The Sister smiled at the mother. "It looked like he fell, so I helped him."

Rather than say any thanks, the mother pulled the boy away and started walking away. Over her shoulder, I saw her shoot the Sister a dirty look. "You shouldn't talk to strange people. Let's go."

My eye twitched.

...that look...

I felt my blood begin to boil, my fists and teeth clenched so hard I was half-certain that I was going to break something.

"Saeki!" "Kind sir!"

Hyoudou and the Sister called after me, but it was too late. I was already marching angrily towards the woman.

She turned her head after noticing me approaching, shooting me a dirty look similar to the one she gave the Sister. "What do you-?!" I grabbed her by the collar and lifted her several inches off of the ground. I glared at her with such a furious look, a vein popping out of my forehead. I wasn't really thinking. I was just doing.

"The fuck's the matter with you!? That Sister just helped your son and "You shouldn't talk to strange people" is your response!?" I screamed angrily at her. "You should be grateful! Not giving her that bullshit look you gave her for using a power that helped someone! What gives you the right to look down upon a nice person like that, HUH?!" The woman was sweating and shaking fearfully, staring at me with a terrified look in her eye.

"Enough!" "Cut it out already!"

I dropped the woman when Hyoudou and the Sister suddenly appeared by my sides, pulling on my arms in an attempt to drag me away.

The Sister gave me a stern look. "You're scaring Yoshi-kun!"

Wha-?

Then I turned back to the child who, the Sister had healed. Then I tensed, realizing I had just pretty much physically assaulted this kid's mother right in front of him. He was terrified and confused...because of me.

Hit by a wave of nausea and shame for what I had done, I let the Sister and Hyoudou drag me back, the two bowing many times in apology for what I had done.

The mother didn't care. She grabbed her child and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, staring back at us once more with fear in her eyes.

I took several deep breaths, calming myself.

"What the hell's the matter with you?!" Hyoudou shouted at me.

I hung my head, staring sadly at the Sister. "I'm sorry...it's just that...Well, that lady had no right treating you like that! You didn't hear what she said, but-.

"It's fine." The Sister said quickly.

I shot the Sister a concerned glance. "You understood that?"

She shook her head. "I didn't understand the language, but I know..." She trailed off, a sad expression on her face. That look thad lady gave the Sister...it pissed me off.

But mostly, it made me sad. It made me remember things I'd rather forget.

I remembered all of the abuse I suffered. From the children. From the adults. Even from my own family. I was always being treated as something less than human (so-to-speak). All of those beatings, the many days I had been starved, all of those filthy looks I was given, I remembered all of them...

"H-Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything." Hyoudou sounded surprised and somewhat guilty about something. That was when I realized I was making a difficult expression.

"...are you alright?" The Sister asked me, concerned.

I nodded, trying to return my expression to normal. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I'm sorry for causing you trouble like that, Sister." I bowed my own head in apology towards the girl I agreed to escort but ended up causing trouble for instead.

"No no! It's fine! It's just that I didn't really mind that kind of reaction from people...Being disliked by others is normal." The Sister's expression became sad again and I realize I was Just making this worse and worse. "I'm used to it..."

For someone like the Sister being treated like that...it just wasn't right. She seemed like a great person...

Then I mentally slapped myself, reminding myself which side she belonged to. There was no telling how some people would react to Devils. I couldn't afford to become attached to or sympathetic towards this girl on the off-chance we became enemies later even if the way she's treated now and the way I was treated back then were nearly identical with different circumstances...

"...Um, you're pulling another troubled face. Is something wrong?" The Sister asked concerned.

I rubbed my face, trying to calm down. "It's...nothing." I gestured her and Hyoudou to follow. "Let's go."

They could clearly tell by my tone that my reluctance to discuss this was similar to the Sister's reluctance to discuss her own problems.

That was when we started travelling in a peaceful silence. An awkward one, but peaceful nonetheless. And it wasn't too long after that that we reached the Church. People were clearly home because some of the lights were on.

"Yes, this is the place! I'm so glad." I looked at the Sister who had such a relieved expression on her face.

I then looked at Hyoudou who was eying the Church with such uncertainty. I shrugged. That was the usual first-reaction to a newly Reincarnated Devil when in the presence of a Church that is occupied by followers of the Angels or the Fallen Angels.

I felt my heart sink as I remembered that this was the same Church which housed the Fallen Angel responsible for Hyoudou's death. 'Course, I couldn't just tell him that. The guy was nervous enough as it was. He didn't know that his Ex-girlfriend/Murderer was also here, probably hiding in some cliche underground lair or something like all cliche villains like her tend to have.

Was this the best place to leave the Sister...?

I shook my head. It didn't matter. Until this whole mess was sorted out, the Sister would be classified as an ally of my enemy...That was what Sona, Rias, or even Kazusa would say, but I felt uncertain.

With the escort job finished, I bowed. "Well, it has been nice meeting you, Sister, but we should leave." I tapped Hyoudou on the shoulder, gesturing him to follow. "Come on, Hyoudou."

He nodded quickly, rather ready to get the fuck out of there. "Then we'll be on our way."

"Please wait!" The Sister's words stopped us in our tracks, causing me to turn back to face her with a raised eyebrow.

"I would like to make you some tea as a gratitude for taking me here." The Sister offered respectfully.

Hyoudou seemed to panic slightly. "Oh, I'm in a rush so-"

I put my arm over his shoulder, clamping my hand over his mouth. "We'd love to~!" I accepted cheerfully on the behalf of both Hyoudou and I. Hyoudou, in response, scream out of shock into my hand, giving me a look that clearly asked "Whaaaaaaaaaaaat!?".

The Sister's eyes seemed to light up. "Really?! Come in! Come in! You can take a seat inside while I make us tea then!"

I let go of Hyoudou who shot me an a shocked yet annoyed look. "Lead the way, Sister~!" I spoke so nonchalantly, you'd think I WASN'T fully aware I was in the midst of enemy territory.

"Asia."

I blinked once, staring at her. "Hm?"

The Sister smiled brightly. "My name is Asia Argento! Please call me Asia!"

I couldn't help but return the bright smile. "Makoto Saeki! You can call me Makoto!"

"Er...I-I'm Issei Hyoudou. Everyone around me calls me Ise. So you can call me Ise as well." Hyoudou introduced himself nervously.

Frowning, I stared at him. "I don't call you Ise."

Hyoudou shot me another dirty look. "Well I barely know or like you, so that probably explains it, you weirdo stalker." He hissed in a whisper.

...Stalker? Where'd that come from?

"OK then! Follow me!" The Sis-I mean, Asia-san said to us, walking ahead.

As we made our way into the area, I didn't fail to notice the ones observing us. Even if they've hidden themselves, they could not hide the presence they gave off. They seemed irritated, but not foolish enough to attack.

I smirked. They were probably pissed there were two Devils in their territory.

Without further hesitation, Hyoudou and I followed after Asia-san.

* * *

TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP

That was the incessant noise that Hyoudou's foot was making as he tapped it repeatedly against the ground, sitting in a chair at the small table on the far right side of the small room we were in. There was a fairly plain bed placed against the wall on one side of the room, a table and chairs, and a window. That was it. It was an incredibly plain and boring room you would expect of a dormitory that once belonged to the Church.

People from the Church were taught to live with little pleasantries.

We were currently waiting while Asia-san brewed us some tea.

Hyoudou was nervously tapping his foot against the floor, clearly wanting to get the hell out of there.

Me? I was casually just sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall with my arms behind my head.

With Asia-san gone, there was an awkward silence between Hyoudou and I. I knew I still had to properly apologize, but-

_"Someone died. Someone always dies. Get over it. Tell him you're sorry and get over it."_

The words Kazusa had spoken to me on that rooftop came to mind. While they filled me with anger and annoyance towards that fox-tailed bastard, I couldn't help but feel the appropriateness of those words at the moment. Hyoudou and I were alone right now. If I didn't just go ahead and say them now, I would never say them.

I sighed. "Hey, Hyoudou..."

"Whose side are you on?"

Hyoudou suddenly interrupted me, taking me by surprise. He didn't seem hostile. Just uncertain, slightly afraid.

But what an odd question. "What side am I on"?

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hyoudou stood up, pointing at me accusingly. "You know about Yuuma, so I know you have some kind of connection-"

"I'm a Devil." I interrupted in a deadpan tone, not wanting to go through this confrontational bullshit right now.

"...Oh." I could tell I took the wind from beneath Hyoudou's wings with that. He looked much less..."energetic", I guess would be the word. "Sorry...it's just that...I wasn't so sure. The day after I first became a Devil, you confronted me so suddenly that I was a little on-edge. I never really saw you around the ORC, so I couldn't be sure who you really worked for. I saw you around Youko-senpai sometimes, but I just kept feeling uneasy because you always gave me a weird look when I walked by you in the hallways. It was creeping me out. Like you were stalking me. It also made me kind of uneasy when you dragged us into the Church like this..."

Ouch. Being called a creepy stalker by the king of uncontrollable perverts. That stung on several levels.

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Well, first off, we shouldn't be harmed as long as I'm around to..er-nevermind...Anyway, the reason I kept looking at you...that's coz...I...I needed..." I cursed at myself mentally. "I wanted to apologize for your death. Ka-Well, it was mainly me who was responsible for your death."

I let out a huge breath. FINALLY! I said it! That felt like it was going to take forever!

Hyoudou's eyes widened. "W-What?!" He was probably processing the many possible

A guilty look crossed my face. "I...It was supposed to be my job to keep an eye on the Fallen Angels that day. I ended up...taking a break." Out of context, it...OK, even IN context it sounded awful. "It was during that time that the Fallen Angel whom you call "Yuuma" was able to kill you as my guard was down and I was not alert for her activities.. Thus, I am responsible." I bowed my head in apology. "I humbly beg your forgiveness."

That was it. I wasn't going to get on my knees and make up a whole bunch of excuses of "I didn't mean to-" or "I couldn't have done anything to stop it!". I told the truth. I was responsible for his death and he was free to either hate me or forgive me. That would be the end of it. Just knowing I at least tried to apologize was the only thing I needed to put my conscience at ease. He would at least know I felt guilt for what I had done.

"What are you talking about?" Hyoudou questioned. "You didn't do jack shit, man."

Hm? Was he just reiterating my confession of guilt?

"That's stupid." Hyoudou continued. "It's not like you could've predicted my death or something-" He paused. "Wait, just to be sure, you CAN'T predict the future, right?"

I shook my head. "If there's a Sacred Gear or person with that ability, I've yet to encounter them. I knew that the Fallen Angels were observing you for your Sacred Gear, but I was not entirely certain what they would do."

Hyoudou nodded, smiling. "Then there you have it! You had no idea what they were gonna do. How were you supposed to know they intended to kill me?"

The way he remained so lighthearted concerning this topic surprised me.

"B-But, I-! I was supposed to be observing the Fallen Angels! If I had been doing my job, they wouldn't have been able to kill you!" I was trying to take the rap here, but Hyoudou was being surprisingly stubborn.

"Yeah, that means your a lazy ass, but not a killer." Hyoudou reasoned. "I barely know you, Saeki, but the way you explain it, I can't really bring myself to blame you. I'm honestly surprised you've been feeling so guilty. Don't we kind of hate each other usually?"

I nodded. "Yes, but that's for a completely unrelated reason. You're an uncontrollable pervert who pisses me off to no end, but you didn't deserve to die."

"Well, I have to say that you should stop moping about this then." Hyoudou suggested. "Think what you want, but I can't really blame you. Besides, I have no complaints with becoming a Devil or the master I have. And now-" A perverted expression on his face told me what he was going to say before his mouth did. "-I can totally rise through the ranks and become a High-Class Devil! Then I can get a Peerage, build a harem, and become a Harem King!" His eyes were sparkling with excitement, drool leaking out of the corner of his mouth.

I...I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that but with a deadpan expression.

"Well...I admire your enthusiasm..." That was the most I could say. But mostly, I felt vindicated. Even though I did my best to make Hyoudou blame me, he didn't. And I took that to mean forgiveness. The huge weight was finally lifted off of my chest. I was far from forgiving myself for my neglect, but knowing that I wasn't being blamed...that I wasn't hated for my failure...it made me feel better.

"Ah! I hope I didn't keep you waiting long!" It was then that the door opened, revealing Asia-san who was carrying a tray which held three cups of tea and a plate of sandwiches.

Both Hyoudou and I smiled at her. "No no. We've just been discussing something, feeling kind of bad for taking advantage of your hospitality like this."

Asia-san smiled. "Oh no! It's only right that I repay you both for helping me! Even if it's something little like this!" She set the tray down on the table in the room, taking one of the four seats at the table. She bowed her head. "Please enjoy."

Both Hyoudou and I smiled gratefully.

[Thank you very much.]

I also took a seat at the table, taking a cup of tea and a sandwich. I took a first taste of the tea, smacking my lips as I savored the taste.

It was pretty good. Not on Akeno's level, but still good.

"This is pretty good, Asia!" Hyoudou noted with wonder after drinking from his own cup.

"No kidding!" I agreed.

"Thank you, Ise-san, Makoto-san! It's nothing special, but I'm glad you are both enjoying it."

Auuuu! She pulled another unbelievably cute expression! Please forgive me, Koneko!

After taking a bite from my sandwhich, I turned to Asia-san. "Say, Sister Asia, what brought you here anyway? I mean, it seems a bit troublesome for your higher-ups to make you travel all the way to Kuoh Town without even really knowing the place, doesn't it?"

Asia-san shook her head. "No, it's fine! I'm just happy I'm able to make myself useful. I don't have as many useful skills as others, so I want to make myself as useful as I can using what few abilities that I have." She sounded so cheerful...but so sad at the same time.

I took another bite of my delicious sandwich, thinking about this.

I frowned. "Don't you ever consider just hanging out? Just chilling? Devoting every moment of your life towards your faith and nothing else seems a bit bland and depressing. Hasn't the Church ever heard of 'having fun'?" Of course I knew that this wasn't a Church belonging to the Angels, but I had to continue acting under the impression that it was.

"Saeki!" Hyoudou said. It was probably something to do with the fact that I just outright questioned the girl's very religion. Hey, with my own brand of idiocy comes a large amount of tactlessness. Even Hyoudou didn't possess the amount of tactlessness necessary to outright question/nearly insult a nun's religion right in front of her.

Rather than get upset, Asia-san frowned. "It's not that I mind the lifestyle I follow, but..." She paused, biting her lip as she looked up at the ceiling nervously, as if worried that the sky had ears. Asia-san looked back at us. "I will admit that I somewhat longed for a normal life sometimes. To be able to live normally, to make my first friends, and to maybe find...love someday." The Sister paused, blushing in embarrassment as she admitted that last part.

"Wait wait wait wait!" Hyoudou stood up, his face revealing a shocked expression. "You've never had friends before?!"

"You've never been in love?!" I asked with an equally shocked expression. Most girls her age have already at least had at least one crush or romance! It was shocking that a girl like Asia-san had never been in love!

Asia-san started looking sad again, shaking her head. "No..."

I was about to say something when the door suddenly burst open.

"Asia-sama." A female, monotone voice interrupted. "Forgive me for this interruption, but it has reached my ears that we have two unauthorized guests on the premises."

I turned my head in surprise to see-

My eyes widened in shock.

HER?!

Standing in the doorway was a girl around mine and Hyoudou's age. She had short, snow-white hair and brown-eyes. She wore a passive, cold, and almost entirely blank expression on her face that gave away no emotion. Unlike the last time I saw this person, she wore dress robes like that of an Exorcist and lacked the dog appendages I saw her with last time.

This was the girl who was watching me during my date with Koneko!

...OH MY MAOU, SHE'S A STALKER!

Dammit! I already have one white-haired stalker! I don't need another one!

My eyes met that of the unknown girl's. I could tell instantly, by the slightest of twitches in her eye, that she recognized me as well.

Asia-san quickly got up to her feet, bowing her entire upper body in apology. "Oh! I'm very sorry! I wasn't trying to make trouble!"

"It's fine!" I quickly said, standing up as well. "Hyoudou and I were just receiving a thanks from Asia-san for helping her to the Church and we were just about to leave, _weren't we_, Hyoudou?" There was no reason to make trouble for Asia-san by extending our stay here.

"But-" I clamped my hand over Hyoudou's mouth to silence him. Seeing what I was getting at, Hyoudou nodded, getting up from his chair as well.

We both turned to Asia-san.

"It has been very nice to meet you, Asia-san."

"I hope we can meet again, but for now, we will leave."

Hyoudou and I both said our goodbyes to Asia-san.

I urged Hyoudou past the female Exorcist in a hurry, me and her exchanging another glance. I was certain that, if I didn't get my classmate out of there, he would end up losing his life for a second time. I'd pushed my luck as far as it would go for that time.

After a few minutes of walking, we ended up back outside the front of the Church, ready to head home.

"Well...that was heartstopping..." Hyoudou admitted, releasing a huge sigh of relief. He shot me an irritated look. "Next time you're going to put our lives in danger like that, I would like a more fair warning. We. Could have. DIED! This is a Church, you know!"

I waved off Hyoudou's fears. "Oh relax! There was never a real chance of anyone attacking you as long as I was around!"

Hyoudou raised an eyebrow. "How does that work?"

I opened my mouth to answer Hyoudou when we heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

I tensed for a moment, thinking it was perhaps that female Exorcist. I prepared myself to raise my fists to fight when I heard the voice of the approaching person.

"Makoto-san! Ise-san!"

Both Hyoudou and I turned around to face the Sister we had see only a moment ago.

She was panting and red-faced as she approached us, out of breath.

I could tell that the Sister wasn't an athletic person. Then again, she was wearing a dress pretty much. I can't imagine it's easy to run in one of those.

"What's wrong, Asia-san?" I asked, worried for a moment that something bad had happened.

Asia-san took a moment to catch her breath before speaking. "I...I just wanted to thank you both one more time. Even if it was for a short time, I had fun talking to both of you."

Hyoudou blushed slightly, seeming nervous all of a sudden.

Then I remembered what Asia-san had said before...about never having had friends before. I shot a dirty look at the Church. This was a place corrupted by the rogue Fallen Angels who would soon be dealt with by Kazusa and I.

And then I was acting without my brain's permission again.

I walked quickly over to Asia-san, grabbing her hand and slapping something down into it.

I took a step away as Asia-san, allowing her to observe what I had put in her hand:

A blue cellphone and a paper with a number written down on it.

Asia-san eyed the cellphone curiously. "Makoto-san, what is-"

"It's my cellphone." I answered preemptively, grinning like a doofus. "I have another one at home, so I figured I could give you this one so we could talk to each other. Whenever you want."

Asia-san's eyes widened. "Makoto-san, I...I don't think..." She looked at me uncertainly. "Are...Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I wrote my number down on that piece of paper. If you ever just wanna talk, dial that number in and I'll be there to talk. If there's ever someone bothering you or IF ANYONE HURTS YOU, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL KICK THEIR ASSES!" I called out that last part very loudly. Loud enough that our dear Fallen Angel friends in the Church could hear. I wanted them to KNOW that I wouldn't allow any harm to come to Asia-san. She was too nice of a girl to allow any injury or suffering to befall her.

I could feel what little presence the Fallen Angels gave to give the impression that this was a real Church recede.

Asia-san seemed incredibly surprised, but she nodded, her beautiful smile returning.. "OK...Yes! I'll definitely keep this, Makoto-san!" She seemed slightly happier than before. "Thank you very much!"

I gave her a thumbs up as Hyoudou and I started walking away. "Of course! What are friends for~? Until next time, Asia-san!"

The last I saw of Asia-san was her still-incredibly beautiful smile.

* * *

It was starting to get dark when Hyoudou and I returned to the main part of town.

Out of the blue, Hyoudou looked at me. "That was a pretty cool thing you did." He admitted.

I shrugged. "No clue what you mean."

"You called Asia-san your friend to make her happy." Hyoudou said with respect. "And you gave her your phone."

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "It's just that...I can kind of understand not having anybody there for you, the feeling of intense loneliness. I just thought that she could use someone she knows she can depend on..."

"But can I ask something?"

"Shoot."

"What's with that collar around your neck? And what's with that bell?"

.

.

.

"Get the fuck out of here." I said in a low growl, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Hyoudou blinked. "Eh?"

"I said get out before I break your face!" I shouted more furiously. "I'm still pissed off enough at you for ruining SEVERAL of MY peeping spots, you jackass!"

Realizing that I just insulted him, Hyoudou beared his own animosity towards me "Who the fuck died and made you king?! I found those spots fair and square!"

"And ruined them for me since the girl's know where they all are now!" I added.

"Screw you! To think I thought you were a good guy for a second!" Hyoudou grabbed my collar.

I shot him an arrogant grin. "Oh, you really think you can beat me in a fight?" Joking or not, the idea of Hyoudou actually trying to fight me was a humorous thought at least.

Hyoudou opened his mouth to say something-

"Bye! See you lateeeeeer!"

It was in that second that Hyoudou turned tail and ran as fast as his legs could carry him away from my powerful, frightening self.

As fun as that was, I did have a real reason for becoming a total asshole out of the blue...other than the fact that Hyoudou brought up the collar that was still stuck to my neck. Dammit...I didn't think we'd ever get Kazusa to stop laughing...that ass. It was worse now because even Ravel got in one or two wise cracks at me. It was a two-on-one battle for dominance in that home of ours. Every. Single. Day. I encounter them more often than ever because they enjoy bothering me just to call me a "domesticated house dog". It was a nightmare!

I never felt my pride more wounded than-

OFF-TOPIC!

"You can come out now. No point in hiding. I've known your presence since ten minutes ago."

I called out to an unwelcome "friend" whom I sensed had been observing Hyoudou and I since we left the Church.

I turned my gaze towards a nearby tree, looking upward to a high-up branch upon which sat a familiar girl dressed in Exorcist robes. It was that white-haired girl from the Church. Upon my revealing of her presence, she discarded her robe, leaping out of the tree in a "cliche female assassin" kind of way.

She stared at me with the same monotone expression as before, only this time, I detected a hint of hostility not just from her, but the wrapped...whatever-it-was on her back.

"I'm impressed. Even though I made sure to move with increased stealth, you still managed to discover my presence." All of this in the same, depressing deadpan tone. If she didn't move with incredible flexibility and speed, I would've mistaken her for a robot.

"Have I ever mentioned that I really hate stalkers?" I sighed out. I shoved my hands into my pockets. "Another thing? That battle suit some of you Exorcists wear? How does no one find something wrong with it?"

I was gesturing to the black, skin-tight, short sleeved unitard the white-haired girl was wearing.

The girl frowned. "It enhances performance in battle by allowing increased manueverability. It is quite effective."

I sweatdropped. But the appearance of it...

It was so tight and it left nothing to the imagination. I'd love to say that I maintained a neutral expression and ignored it...but that would be a lie. I would be lying if I said that that sexy battle suit she and other female Exorcists wore DIDN'T turn me on. As it turned out, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I had a fetish for tight suits like that that hugged a hot girl's curves.

"Stop staring at me with those disgusting eyes, Devil." The Exorcist said with venom in her voice. She had pulled the wrapped package which I suspected to be a sword from her back, pointing it at me. "You will regret stepping foot in our territory, Devil-scum."

I stared at her blankly. "First off...please don't talk like a cliche. It's hard to take you guys seriously when you act like villain stereotypes." I held up two fingers. "And second, this is MY terri-well, actually this territory belongs to Rias, but that's not the point! It's not your territory, servant of the Fallen Angels!"

The Exorcist jabbed her sheathed blade in my direction. "Don't you dare call this territory yours, Devil." There was an extra amount of hostility in her voice now. She was clearly pissed. "This territory rightfully belong to the humans who live here. Villainous Devils like you have no place here! That is why I will aid Raynare-sama in eradicating you filthy Devils from this world!"

Sighing, I withdrew my hands from my pockets. "Looks like we're really doing this." I turned my eyes towards the night sky, contemplating my decision, and then back to the girl. "Fine then. Let me show you my true face then."

I closed my eyes, focusing on revealing the physical features I usually kept hidden.

From my head appeared two canine-like ears, from the area where my back and my waist met a shaggy tail with ash-gray fur. The hair on my head and ears also began to lighten slightly, becoming the same shade of gray as my tail. I admit it was a somewhat unpleasant sensation when my teeth become much sharper, growing slightly (like a millimeter or two) in length as they returned to their original size, and my nails sharpened into slightly longer, wolf-like claws.

I smirked.

The Exorcist narrowed her eyes. "So this is the [Pawn] of Leviathan, the dreaded [God-Killing Fang] who serves the Maou."

I shrugged. "Meh. Not the title I would've gone for." To be honest, I didn't really feel comfortable regarding that power of mine...I held proud in my power, but not in the title it caused me to take on.

The Exorcist straightened her posture, poising herself to strike. "Fear me, servant of the Devil's Maou. I am Inazuma Aichi, the woman who shall slay you! Prepare to pay for the suffering you and your kind have caused upon this world!"

I paused. "Wait...'My kind' as in wolf-youkai or 'my kind' as in Dev-HYAH!" I dodged back just in time to avoid the slash of her sword. When she got it out? I have no idea. All I know is that my Devil instincts were screaming like crazy to make sure it didn't touch me.

I made sure to put in enough distance to keep me out of the range of her sword.

That was when what I saw made me tense.

The sword. It was finely made with a silvery-white edge and a long strip of blue stretching down the center of the blade, the color matching that of the hilt. There was no clear guard on the sword. My best guess being that this sword was made mainly for offense.

But what's more, the power I originally sensed from the blade became several times more powerful. I recognized this kind of presence. It was...unpleasant.

A Holy Sword.

Aichi gained an air of arrogance as she realized I noticed this. "That's right. This is a Holy Sword, a blade forged solely for slaying filthy Devils like yourself. It is a blade stained with blood belonging to the enemies of a great king."

Then she moved with amazing speed. I turned just as she appeared by my side, swinging her blade at me once again. I turned my head to the side, just barely avoiding losing it. She swung, but I used my enhanced reflexes to avoid each blow by a hair. Whoever this girl was, she was certainly no joke. I'm not kidding. I was not playing with her. It was taking every ounce of reflex I had to avoid being cut by that Holy Sword of hers. I especially couldn't afford to get hit even once. Even a strong Devil like me would die if I suffered a direct hit from that sword, being reduced to less than nothing in a matter of moments.

Ducking and weaving, I evaded every slash of her sword by a hairs-breadth, waiting and watching for an opportunity to counter. It was difficult though! This girl knew what she was doing with that sword! Every conceivable opening that'd be in place was covered almost instantly. Grimacing, I couldn't help but growl in frustration; electricity flared out of my body as I released a burst to surprise Aichi. It worked wonders as her sword conducted the lightning I had conjured. She froze and her movements stuttered from the attack.

Grinning widely, I planted my feet and threw a punch forward. My fist threw towards her face and nearly struck her head on, but the Exorcist twisted to the side. It was a glancing blow, though, which caused her to stagger ever so lightly from the blow. Unfortunately, she recovered almost instantly and continued her spin, slashing the sword with extra strength from the momentum.

"Shit!" I leaned back and barely dodged the slash, losing several strands of hair from my bangs. I didn't lose my footing, though, nor did I sacrifice my position. I was right in her guard, far too close for her to safely, or skillfully, use that damned Holy Sword of hers. Baring my claws, I allowed my Sacred Gear to come to life, igniting them with a continuous surge of lightning. Slashing out, I growled as she dodged me by inches, though my lightning branched out and stung her.

In the midst of her dodge, Aichi created distance between us with a sudden leap backwards. I tried to follow her, but was forced to evade a slash of her sword, aimed at my neck for a decapitating blow. Once again, I tried to attack her, but it was like I was being held back a wall made of Holy Swords, she wielded it so skillfully. I couldn't get close enough to hit her, so it looks like I'll have to start using my Sacred Gear in earnest.

Lightning flared out around my body as I directed it towards her, lashing out with a low, but quick, jab from the side. A look of concentration appeared on her face as the Holy aura of her sword flared. She countered by smacking my fist away with the pommel, she blocked my lightning blast with the flat of the blade. I was about to let out a triumphant grunt, but was surprised when she continued moving in spite of my attempt to stun.

With surprising footwork, Aichi managed to hook one of her feet around mine and trip me, while reasserting her own stance. I stumbled back as I lost my balance, more surprised that she blocked my attempt to stun her, then at the fact that she tripped me. She slashed her sword at my chest, clearly hoping to tear it open, but I couldn't help the somewhat frustrated growl that rumbled out of me.

A blur crashed into the ground between us and I felt a hand push onto my chest, sending me stumbling back even more. I would've fallen if it wasn't for someone grabbing my arm to help me reassert my balance.

Kazusa and Ravel.

Ravel was at my side, a look of clinical concern on her face as she studied me lightly, to see if I had any injuries.

Kazusa was in front of the two of us, his hand wrapped firmly around the wrist of the dominant hand that Aichi used to hold the Holy Sword. He had a wry smirk on his face as he casually looked from Aichi, to me, to the Sword, before looking to the distance…in the direction of the Church. "My…you've been busy today, haven't you Mako?"

Once Ravel was done checking me over for injuries, she stepped away from me and turned her attention to the Exorcist. Her hands were outstretched, as if waiting conjure her flames.

I scowled at him as I brushed myself off. "I could've handled it." I said with a growl at him.

"Says the guy who was tripped up." I simply glared at him. Kazusa simply looked to Aichi. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Didn't you get my message? I thought you Exorcists were smarter than this…" He sounded like a cross between gleeful and expectant, like it was his birthday or something.

The girl scowled at him. "Don't think that you'll be able to defeat me three on one."

Kazusa's smirk widened even more. "'Three on one'? Oh, I believe you're mistaken. It's more like _ten_ on one." As if on cue, seven wolf-like creatures created from the lightning I used dropped onto the ground, encircling Aichi. I allowed myself a confident smirk as I looked to her; while I know for a fact I only made three, Kazusa clearly felt the need to be dramatic and created some realistic illusions to liven things up.

In battle, he's the best comrade you can have, I'll gladly admit that. It's every other time, he annoys the utter shit out of me.

"I'll ask one more time: what do you want?" Kazusa asked coolly as he lifted his free hand, calling up a flame in casual threat.

Aichi glanced at the wolves around her, both real and fake. Then she turned back to me, Kazusa, and Ravel, glaring viciously towards us.

Her fists tightened and, for a moment, I was certain she was going to try to attack even with the odds against her. Then she relaxed. Her dislike for us didn't lessen in the slightest, but she didn't look like a beast poised to strike anymore.

"'What do I want'...?" Aichi parroted back. She looked at us, her eyes burning with rage, the one emotion I've seen this cold girl express. "I desire a world free from Devil filth like you! I'll never forgive your kind for what you've done! However, with the turning tides of this battle, I believe I will flee. I was too impatient this time and attacked recklessly." She shot one final angry look at me. "Should we meet again, I will have your head severed and soaking in the blood of you and all of your kind."

"While I appreciate the bloody and gruesome detail you put into that," Kazusa said, still calm, "I'm gonna have to go ahead and ask you NOT to do that." Kazusa tightened his grasp on Aichi, but he was too slow to react when she pulled something from...I honestly have no idea where she pulled it from. Those battle suits don't exactly have pockets.

"Until we meet again, foul Devils." We were all to late to react as the Exorcist known as Inazuma Aichi threw a smoke bomb against the ground, the large pellet exploding into a smoke screen that surrounded all of us.

There was a fit of coughing as we were all unprepared for the sudden smokescreen.

"Dammit!" I swore. "She's getting away!"

"Let her." Kazusa responded almost immediately, as if noticing the fact I was about to go running in whichever direction. "If we chase her back to the Church, she'll have the home-field advantage. Even if we're able to hopelessly outmatch them in terms of power, that Holy Sword is their one trump card. They only need a single chink in our defenses to stab. If we get hit even once, we're dead."

"But-!"

"Personally, I think you should've known better than to simply to engage a Holy Sword-wielder directly without even knowing the blade. But, I guess that's Mako for you." Kazusa said this while shrugging nonchalantly. "I would say "bad dog", but that hardly seems to have a point right now."

I shoved my hands in my pockets, turning away from that A-hole. "Whatever...so what's our move now? They not only have [Twilight Healing] but also a Holy Sword."

.

.

.

[...What?]

Kazusa actually seemed mildly surprised by this. Ravel's eyes were wide like plates and her mouth was hanging agape.

Ravel's reaction was expected, but it was surprising to see Kazusa even mildly surprised for once. I would have to call Serafall-sama and ask if Hell and the Underworld have frozen over.

But I maintained a serious expression. "I encountered this nun earlier today while I was meeting up with Hyoudou. She not only possesses the Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, but she has also been stationed in the Church where the rogue Fallen Angels are based."

"You met this nun?" Kazusa questioned.

"Yes." I answered.

"In what context? What did you do with her?" Kazusa could clearly tell it was serious that Asia-san not only had such a Sacred Gear but also belonged to the rogue Fallen Angels' side.

"Well, I was trying to apologize to Hyoudou again today and I just ended up meeting her." I explained. "She was lost and didn't know the town well, so I helped her out in getting to the Church. She thanked me, made me sandwiches and tea, and I gave her my cellphone to call me anytime she wants."

Blank stares were directed at me.

"So let us get this straight...You directly met this nun?" Kazusa asked.

"Yes."

Ravel crossed her arms. "And you knew she had Twilight Healing?"

"Yes." I repeated. I wondered where this was going.

"And you escorted her to the Church?" Ravel asked, disbelief in her tone.

"Yes. The two of us were also accompanied by Hyoudou."

[The same Church controlled by the same rogue Fallen Angels we are observing and trying to deal with?] They spoke in perfect unison.

"Yeeeeeee-Oh shit." I realized my "fuck-up". I literally handed Asia-san over to our enemies...WHY DID I DO THAT?! WHAT COULD I HAVE BEEN THINKING!?

"Wow..." Kazusa said, deadpan. "That...That was so stupid, I can't even think of a joke, tease, or clever quip good enough to fully describe how stupid you are."

For once, as much as it killed me to do so, I agreed with Kazusa. I AM an idiot!

Kazusa considered the situation. "It looks like I'll have to discuss with Sona and Rias, maybe even Serafall, on what to do about this. It'll be troublesome to deal with this not only because they have the Twilight Healing, but also the Holy Sword."

"And let's not forget we can't let Kiba find out." I added. To both Kazusa and I, during our time around Sona and Rias's Peerages, two things became apparent: Saji's incredibly hopeless infatuation with Sona (which I find HILARIOUS to watch when he fails epically~) and the hatred the [Knight] known as Yuuto Kiba has for Holy Swords. There was no telling what that guy would do when he found out the enemy had a Holy Sword.

"Yes, I figured that. Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Mako." And just like that, Kazusa was being an ass again. "It's obvious that, one way or another, the Holy Sword-wielder will have to be dealt with. The real question is what to do with the nun possessing Twilight Healing. Worst-case-scenario, she will be dealt with in the same manner as the hostile Stray Exorcists and rogue Fallen Angels should they attack-"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on Asia, you bastard!" I grabbed Kazusa's arm, glaring right into his eyes. "I swear if you even CONSIDER doing anything to her, I will kill you, Kazusa. And I mean it this time. I WILL kill you."

"Oho~, Mako knows the nun's name~!" Kazusa noted, completely ignoring my threat. "Now a certain kyuubi is curious~!"

I shot Kazusa a serious glare, letting him know I was not in the mood for his bullshit.

"Let it go, Kazusa." I warned him.

"No no, you're right." Kazusa said, raising his hands in apparent surrender. "I suppose I shouldn't pry into such affairs."

I crossed my arms, turning away. "No! You're not dragging me into it this time! I'm not falling for it!"

"I understand." Kazusa said, smiling with that smile of his I hated so much. "After all, if I found out something I shouldn't have, it would ache me so to keep such a dirty secret from Neko-chan~!"

I felt my face flush. "I-It's not like that! It's not like that at all! I just think of Asia as a good person, a friend even! Besides..." I couldn't help the solemn expression that betrayed my thoughts and feelings. "I think I can kind of sympathize with her and the way she's treated..."

Kazusa's amused smile faded into a faint frown. "How so...?"

"To be treated as different...as a lesser being...all because of a power you never asked to possess, I just feel like I can understand how she feels..."

I remembered everything still...

It was a tragic story. The story of a young wolf pup. A wolf youkai pup born between a human mother and a youkai father who came from a special bloodline. A feared and hated bloodline. The moment he was born, the young pup was mistreated by the cruel world. His mother left him, either dying or abandoning the child sometime after giving birth, the father following suit. Alone, the nameless half-wolf pup was treated with cruelty and disdain by his own pack, the ones who should've become his new family after his parents absence.

Despite his young age, the young pup inherited the power of his father's bloodline, showing himself to be stronger than most of the children in his pack. He was treated with both fear and disdain for something that wasn't even his fault, the power he was born with. The pup had to fight tooth and nail simply to survive within his own pack. When he wasn't being starved or beaten by others, he was isolated from the others, treated like a monster. He was so alone.

It didn't take much for the nameless wolf's pack to leave him. Alone, unloved, the young wolf pup wandered aimlessly on his own, utilizing his instincts and inhuman physical traits to hunt for food and shelter. He grew to distrust humans who looked upon him with disdain due to his unnatural appearance and other wolf-youkai who looked upon him with disdain for his half-blood status and cursed status. He didn't despise them. The young pup just couldn't trust them. When he happened upon inhabited places, he would sleep in alleyways, garbage cans, anywhere he could find. When there was nothing to hunt, the pup would steal.

One day, he tried to steal from the wrong person. This person was one of the few whose power could match or even surpass his own. The nameless pup was not aware this boy was also a youkai, a kyuubi at that. After a brief struggle, the nameless pup is beaten by a mix of injury and his previous exhaustion. When the nameless pup awoke, the kyuubi was still there. The two ended up arguing, engaging in yet another fight until the pup collapsed again due to hunger. The kyuubi, pitying the pup, threw him some scraps from his previous meal as a mixed kind/mocking gesture since the nameless pup devoured the meal like he hadn't eaten in several days.

The kyuubi introduced himself as Kazusa while the pup had no name to give. Kazusa questioned this out of curiosity as to how someone was born without a name (or more likely boredom). The pup felt no reason not to tell the kyuubi since they were both youkai. Kazusa listened to the pup's story without judgement. After the story was over, Kazusa started calling the young pup "Makoto" due to his honest and truthful nature. However, they quickly get in another fight after Kazusa called Makoto honest to the point of stupidity. It was that day that they became...associates...Alright. I choke when I admit it, but they became...f-f-frieeeeendssssss...

Anyway, since that day, Makoto had followed Kazusa, possessing a great loyalty to his friend despite their many fights and arguments. Makoto came to hold a hidden respect for Kazusa and DOES care for him, grateful towards Kazusa for giving him a name. His loyalty was so great that he remained by Kazusa's side even in their fight to the bitter end against the possessor of a Longinus, becoming a Devil alongside him.

It was because of this past of mine that I understood Asia's pain in a way...I may not understand the circumstances, but our thoughts were the same.

For that girl, I would definitely do anything to protect her. Even if we were, by definition, enemies, I would do anything to rescue her. To rescue her from the sadness I also knew.

"...Makoooo~" Kazusa was waving his hand in front of my face, causing me to realize I had fallen into a trance as I reflected upon my past. "Earth to Mako, do you read me?" He knocked on my head a few times for good measure, causing me to instinctively smack his hands away.

"Piss off, A-hole!" To think I actually had even a GRUDGING respect for this immature guy!

Kazusa smirked, backing away.

I shoved my hands back into my pockets. "So what now...?"

Kazusa shrugged. "Like I said: We'll need to discuss with the others. We'll need to know what to do with that Holy Sword after we defeat its wielder. If we just go ahead and destroy it, our buddies, the Angels, might take offense. No, we should probably go ahead and talk about it with our master. Who knows, maybe something this serious will even warrant even Behemoth's attention."

"No. Not him. Anyone but him, Kazusa. Don't even joke about that." I spoke quietly and with a pale expression. I don't fear Behemoth exactly, just the untold mass chaos and destruction that guy would cause. That guy getting involved in a relatively small matter like this would certainly not bode well for this town.

I started walking away, trying to remove that horrifying thought from my mind.

"Hey, Kazusa...You were right. About before." I said out of the blue.

.

.

.

I was getting shocked, wide-eyed looks from both of my companions. They looked like they had witnessed something surprising.

"Ravel."

"Yes?"

"Call Serafall. Ask her if Hell has frozen over."

"Right away."

"I'M SERIOUS, YOU BASTARDS!" I screamed in annoyance and anger. I calmed down, shooting a glance at Kazusa. "I didn't notice it before, but I realized it after I finally apologized to Hyoudou. I was letting my guilt get in my way before. Life has never really gone our way, so now shouldn't be any different. People die. Even those close to us die. We die. We actually HAVE died. Hyoudou died, but everyone eventually does. There are some things we can't prevent, whether as a result of fate, controlled events, or just simple bad luck. But if I just keep drowning in my own self-pity, I'll ultimately fail when it really matters. If I give up and don't even try to save a single person, how could I ever hope to save anyone?" I gave him a thumbs up. "I'll definitely save Asia-san, no matter what."

I started walking home, secretly smiling to myself.

Kazusa...thanks.

"Oho~ Looks like there is something going on! Forbidden romance~? I wonder if I should tell Neko-chan~!"

...I hate you so much.

**DONE! The third chapter is done! As of now, both Kazusa and Makoto's lives have been revealed~! There are a few secrets I'm saving from Makoto's past for late**

**Consider this a Valentine's Day present from us to all of you~! With this, we spread the message of love and joy to all of your hearts~! Celebrate this holiday to your hearts content! It may be late, but it's never too late when it comes to love! Go out, kiss the girl of your dreams, be happy on this day of love and hope! We bid you good fortune and happy lives!**

**-From bamafelix and CrimsonBlade11 to all of you~!**


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